Eternal
by Quicklove202
Summary: AU. Out of everyone in McKinley High School, Quinn Fabray remained the most elusive. Not even her fellow glee clubbers knew what her story was. So when Rachel Berry suddenly decides to make it her life's mission to befriend Quinn, what secrets will be revealed? Based on the film, "Ladyhawke." Rachel/Quinn friendship. Jacob/Quinn.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Okay, first off the plot/inspiration for this story is ****_based_ off the film, _Ladyhawke. _****So if you haven't seen the film that's okay (although I do recommend watching it at least once before you die, it's an awesome eighties movie) because you don't need to have seen it to understand this story. But it wouldn't hurt to take a glance at a plot summary off of wikipedia or something for those who are completely unfamilar with the film - just to you know, get an idea of what's to come (even though it's mostly different lol). **

**As for a timeline, this would be like an AU Season 2 just because I mention a few things that happened back in Season 1. This story will be Rachel-centric _at first_ but once we dive into more of the backstory of our centric couple that will change.**

**Anyways, read. enjoy. review!**

* * *

Rachel Berry was having a good Monday. Despite being surrounded by nothing but her fellow peers languidly moving along the school corridors like the bunch of hung-over underachievers they were, she walked down the hallways of McKinley with pep in her step and a bright smile gracing her features.

She had just received her Spanish test back from Mr. Schuster - she of course aced it - and had actually managed to avoid receiving a slushie facial from any one of the Neanderthal jocks. Granted there was still plenty of time left in the school day for that to still happen but she didn't dare dwell on the possibility. She was in too good a mood.

Aside from the new solo piece she planned to perform in glee later on in the day, she also intended on rekindling her romance with Finn Hudson today. Things took a rather sour turn for their relationship last year when Finn broke up with her due to the typical male commitment issues. Which prompted her to move onto Vocal Adrenaline's lead vocalist Jesse St. James, though that relationship eventually ended disastrously and resulted in her getting egged (to this day she involuntarily flinched every time she saw an egg). And of course by then Finn was more than willing to start a real relationship with her but the same couldn't be said for her.

And while he was disappointed at first, Finn understood that after the whole Jesse debacle, she needed time to herself before jumping into another relationship. He promised that he would wait for her and he has.

Now a new school year had arrived and what with glee destined to win regionals and subsequently take nationals by storm, she finally felt like it was the perfect time to be with the boy she loved.

She swiftly turned the corner branching into the hallway where said boy's locker was. No doubt he would currently be there exchanging his U.S. History textbook for his Chemistry one (As she worked as an office aid this semester, she managed to get her hands on a copy of Finn's schedule - naturally she committed it to memory almost immediately).

As she maneuvered through the congested hallway and got closer to his locker, her handsome male lead slowly came into view. But for the first time that day, she felt the smile she had managed to uphold since early this morning faltering at the sight before her.

At this range she was able to see that Finn was not standing alone at his locker. Instead he had Quinn Fabray at his side, the two of them conversing as he swapped his books.

Her brow furrowed at the scene. She wasn't aware they were even friends. Sure they were in glee together but she had never really seen Quinn openly interact with, well _anyone_ since the girl arrived at McKinley last spring.

If Rachel had to chose one word to describe Quinn Fabray it would be: mystery. Because that was exactly what the girl was. Not only to her but to the entire school - faculty included.

Despite having two classes with the girl, as well as glee, she knew about as much about the blonde as everyone else did. Naturally all the obscurity surrounding Quinn's life resulted in a whirlwind of rumors flying amuck. None, by the way, which Quinn ever bothered to address - though she kind of understood why, most of the gossip was absolutely absurd and not worth acknowledging in the first place.

Reining herself in from her own internal musings, she quickly refocused her attention back on the two teenagers in time to see Finn abruptly pull Quinn into a hug, grinning boyishly all the while.

So much for Finn waiting for her.

Dejected, she turned around and started for her next class before either one could spot her standing there. Here she was finally ready to begin a serious relationship with Finn and now it looked as though he was ready to start one with none other than Quinn Fabray - the most beautiful girl to grace McKinley High since…well, _ever_.

Great. Just great.

And as if her day couldn't have gotten any worse, she rounded the corner only to be met with an icy red splash of a slushie to the face. The boys' laughter trailed down the hallway as they kept walking.

Needless to say she was no longer having a good Monday.

* * *

It wasn't until her fourth period English class where someone _finally_ commented on her lackluster demeanor. That someone had been Mercedes Jones, who happened to share the class with her along with Kurt Hummel. After informing them of the cause of her distress, her fellow glee-clubbers quickly became her voice of reason and persuaded her to get the facts straightened out before she went around sulking. Of course they were right. She only wished she had come to that conclusion sooner. It was _so_ obvious.

Sweeping her hair over her shoulder, she turned back around in her seat to face the white board. A determined look swept across her face. At lunch she would get a hold of Finn and demand he explain the nature of his relationship with Quinn Fabray. Then if his answer proved satisfactorily enough, she would invite him over for dinner where they then could discuss the nature of _their_ relationship. Or maybe just sing a ballad to one another instead. Personally she preferred the latter, that way they would get in extra practice for sectionals.

She scurried over to the cafeteria to confront Finn as soon as she had settled her disagreement with her English teacher after class (the woman had the audacity to give her a B- on a essay that should have received an A).

The smell of undercooked tater tots wafted through the air of crowded lunchroom though the odor no longer bothered her like it had during freshman year and now found herself ignoring it completely. She pursed her lips together in a firm line as she scanned the area for any sight of Finn. She first zoned in on the lunch line only to come up empty handed. Her gaze snapped over to the jock/cheerio tables where Finn, as well as the rest of glee's football players and cheerios, ate.

Dismayed at his absence, her gaze drifted over toward the table where the five original glee members sat. Since Quinn had been known to join them on occasion, she figured Finn might be over there today - if her assumptions about the two of them proved true anyways. Unfortunately neither Finn nor Quinn were at the table. _Oh, God. Their names rhyme_.

Shaking her head of that thought, she reluctantly headed toward her usual table. "Greetings all." she stated, though lacking her usual enthusiasm, once she reached the table. Her gaze continued to dart around the area for any sight of Finn as she sat down.

"I thought you were going to talk to Finn." Mercedes brought up as she chomped on a slice of green apple, clearly sensing her unresolved frustration.

"He's nowhere in sight." She huffed, shaking her head and crossing his arms. "He's probably in some closest making out with _her_." She balked at the very idea.

"Jealousy is not a good color on you, Rachel." Kurt commented before sharing a knowing look with Mercedes. She turned her head and scowled.

"And for your information if Finn is off in some closet with a girl, it's not Quinn."

Her head snapped back to meet Kurt's gaze, her own eyes narrowing. "And how would _you_ know?"

Taking a moment to roll his eyes, Kurt then used his fork to point behind him. Artie, Tina, and Mercedes all turned their heads while she followed the direction in which Kurt's fork was pointing to. In a corner table near the long wall of windows that overlooked the courtyard sat a lone Quinn Fabray with her attention solely on the book in front of her.

The animosity that had filled her veins only seconds ago quickly dissipated. "Feel awful, yet?" Mercedes inquired.

"She could still be seeing Finn." she murmured lowly, pouting slightly.

"So what if she is?" Mercedes retorted. "It's not like you have a claim on the boy. You two aren't together. She did nothing wrong."

The table stared at Mercedes long and hard, unsure as to why she was suddenly coming to the defense of a girl none of them really knew.

"Quinn goes to the same church that I do." Mercedes explained, shifting uncomfortably at the four pairs of eyes staring her down. "I see her every Sunday and from the few conversations I've had with her, she seems really nice…And sane, which is more than I can for certain people at this table." She added, directing her gaze back onto Rachel.

She scoffed indignantly at that implication and frowned. "I resent that remark."

"Either way it's true." Artie chuckled, prompting the others to follow suit.

"If you want to find out what's going on with her and Finn, why don't you just _ask_ her?" Tina inquired, taking a bite of her carrot stick. "It's not that hard."

"Fine." she replied stiffly before pushing herself upright. "I'll do just that."

It wasn't like she was scared of the girl. Cause she definitely wasn't.

She took a brief second to smooth out her skirt before she made her way over to Quinn's table. She ignored the heavy feeling of her fellow glee clubbers' eyes following her. With her chin held high and back straight, she settled herself in the seat across from Quinn, prompting the blonde to tear her gaze away from the pages in front of her.

"Hello, Quinn." she greeted curtly, managing a polite smile. "Is it okay if I join you today?" She knew it was customary to say that _before _one sat down but she had a feeling Quinn would say okay anyways.

Quinn dropped her hand from her neck and slowly straightened up, wariness etched across her features.

At this close proximity she was able to see just how flawless the blonde's skin actually was. God, did she even _have_ pores?

"Is there something I can help you with, Rachel?"

She lifted her gaze from the girl's cheekbones and looked into her haunting green eyes. She almost rolled her own eyes right then and there. Of course Quinn's eyes were _green_. No, she couldn't just be a regular blonde haired, blue-eyed girl like all the rest. She just had to have exotic _green_ eyes.

She knew she was just being petty and maybe a little insecure but she couldn't help it. Especially when sitting across from perfection personified. And the fact that Quinn may or may not be seeing Finn did not help either.

"I demand to know what is going on with you and Finn. There I said it." She pulled her hands back and crossed her arms as she awaited the blonde's response.

"I'm not dating him if that's what you want to know." Quinn replied with out hesitation. "And I don't have a crush on him or have any intention on being romantically involved with him. He's not even my type. "

"Well…good." For a second she wondered if Quinn was gay or something because ever since she came to McKinley she never seemed to take any interest in the boys that pursued her (I.e. Puck and more recently their newest glee member, Sam).

"We have History together." Quinn continued to explain. "Finn isn't doing so well in the class and today he asked if I wouldn't mind tutoring him and I agreed to help him out. That's basically what you saw earlier at his locker."

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "So…you saw me then, huh?"

Quinn nodded. "Finn was oblivious, but then again he always is, but yes, I noticed you."

As she pondered why Finn didn't bother asking _her_ for help in history, her gaze caught sight of a tribal-looking bracelet around Quinn's left wrist. It didn't exactly go with her outfit and certainly didn't seem like her style. When she commented about it, Quinn simply replied, "It was a gift." before tugging her cardigan sleeve over it.

She frowned at this but didn't further question her about it.

"Back to Finn." Quinn firmly stated. "If you have a problem with me tutoring him, I will gladly tell him I can't help him after all. I'm sure he would much rather have _you_ tutoring him anyways."

"Thank you for the offer but I'm sure if Finn wanted _my_ help he would have asked for it." She was still a little hurt, and pissed off, at that fact.

Quinn exhaled heavily. "The only reason he didn't ask _you_ is because he doesn't want you to think of him as an idiot."

She scoffed. "But I would never-!"

"That's just what he said." Quinn replied, holding up her hands in surrender. "Now if you'll excuse me…"

She watched with a furrowed brow as the blonde gathered up her things and stood up. "Where are you going?" She glanced at the watch on her left wrist before looking up at her. "Lunch isn't over yet." And she hardly felt like their little discussion was over.

"I've got somewhere I have to be. See you in glee." She watched as Quinn turned on her heel and sauntered out of the cafeteria, catching the eye of a few males in the process.

* * *

Later that day, right before glee started, she cornered Finn and informed him that she would love it if they rekindled their romance. Finn was absolutely ecstatic, since he had been wanting this ever since she was dating Jesse (much to the delight of her ego). They proclaimed their love for one another right there in the choir room, and sealed it with a kiss (much to the dismay of their fellow glee-clubbers but she paid them no attention). It was just like the movies.

It would have been an absolutely perfect had she not spotted Quinn sporting a rather longing gaze in that same moment. So much for the girl not wanting to be with _her_ boyfriend. She should have known that was a lie. But either way, she was back together with Finn and he _only_ had eyes for her. That was all that mattered.

The rest of the week went by without a hitch. The glee assignment had been adult contemporary and while the others approached the genre with an appalling lack of gusto, she of course ended the week on a high note by choosing the seminal Cèline Dion classic, "My Heat Will Go On" to sing. (Ms. Dion couldn't have given a more moving and powerful performance, if she did say so herself).

When she finished the last note, she expected to be met with thunderous applause, tear-stained faces, and a standing ovation (at the very least). But once again her peers failed to meet her expectations and she was instead met with disinterested faces and standard applause, with the exception of Finn, thankfully. She figured it was solely due to the fact that the weekend was finally upon them and her singing was the only thing that separated them from their freedom.

Oh well. They would come to appreciate her talents soon enough. Though she kind of hoped it would be _sooner_ rather than _later_.

* * *

Saturday morning she promptly woke up at the same time she did everyday. 6:00 am. Her body was so used to this that she found herself no longer in need of an alarm (though she set one every night just in case). She hopped out of bed and began humming a pitch perfect rendition of "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" from _Oklahoma! _as she combed out her shiny dark locks. She then dressed in grey yoga pants and her pink sweatshirt. She laced up her color coordinating running shoes and slipped her ipod in her pocket before bounding downstairs and into the kitchen.

Breakfast was _very_ important. She liked to create her own unique juices and smoothies each morning to fend off any bugs she may have picked up in that disgusting petri dish of a school. All one had to do to catch a virus at McKinley was step through the door. She always took the necessary precautions. There was no way she was going to have an encore of her experience with laryngitis. Losing her voice had been traumatic, to say the least.

As she collected the ingredients necessary to create her favorite StarBerry smoothie, she went over morning schedule in her head. First she would partake in her usual morning run for an hour. Then she would come home and train on her elliptical for thirty minutes. She would finish with yoga before showering and starting on her daily vocal exercises. After that she would complete any weekend homework she had and then once she finished with that she would call up Finn to confirm their mall date for the afternoon.

Once she finished her smoothie, paired with a whole wheat muffin, she headed out the front door (but not before leaving the standard note to her dads, who had yet to start their day). As she scrolled through her ipod with one hand, she used the other to stick her earbuds in each ear. She double-clicked until the music from her jogging playlist filled her ears before starting her morning trek.

She ran along the pathway of Lima's sole hiking trail for awhile before altering her course and venturing deeper into the woodsy area. While she knew doing so would be ill-advised by some, she was confident running in the midst of nature at its most beautiful (as long as she had her rape whistle and mace on hand, of course).

It wasn't long before sunlight peaked through the overcast sky signaling the start of daybreak. She gradually slowed her movements to catch her breath. She came to a stop and removed her earbuds, letting them dangle out of the collar of her sweatshirt. While her heart pounded in her ears and breath evened out, she took a minute to admire her surroundings. The scents, the sounds, and the scenery were all things she enjoyed immensely, especially at this time of day. Everything was just so peaceful…

_Snap. _

Mildly startled, her body stiffened. Her eyes darted around the forest for the cause but came up empty handed. _Probably just an animal of some kind. _After all this was their natural habitat, not hers. Figuring it best to be on her way, she quickly stretched out her legs before slipping her earbuds back in her ears one by one. Since she hadn't bothered to pause the music, it filled her ears instantly. She turned around, ready to head back, only to come face to face with… a wolf.

A wolf. Not a dog, but a _wolf_.

She quickly popped her earbuds out of her ears and took a cautious step back in hope of quelling the deep rumbling coming from the animal. "Nice wolf…don't eat me, please."

This did nothing to appease the large canine and instead prompted it to pull back its muzzle to reveal _very_ sharp looking teeth, the growling only getting worse.

_Should have never left the path. Should have never left the path_. She could practically see her picture flashing across the six o'clock news now.

_Local girl gets devoured by rabid animal in the woods…_

Exhaling shakily, she slowly reached into her sweatshirt pocket for her mace. While she did not relish in harming an animal (especially with mace of all things), she was _not_ about to die now. Not at sixteen. Not by a wolf. Not in Lima. And certainly not before she had the chance of leaving behind a legacy.

"Sorry, wolf." Her thumb brushed over the push button as she aimed it at the animal. Though she knew it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, it could give her a much needed head start when she bolted. She snapped her eyes shut just before she pressed on the button…

"What are you doing?"

Her eyes flew open at the sudden voice just as something smacked her hand _hard, _knocking the mace out of her grasp. It took her a second before she realized she had Quinn Fabray standing before her, looking _livid_.

Her brow furrowed immediately in confusion. "_Quinn?"_

"What is wrong with you?" The volume at which Quinn spoke resulted in the birds scattering from their nests around them.

"I-I….that animal was going to eat me!" she hastily exclaimed, shakily pointing to the wolf that had oddly adopted a rather protective looking stance in front of Quinn. "I had to do something!"

"That animal is my _dog_. And he wasn't going to _eat_ you." Quinn rolled her eyes at the very idea.

Biting back a scoff, she shot a disbelieving look up at the blonde. "I may not know much about animals, Quinn, but I can tell the difference between a dog and a wolf." She stated matter-of-factly before pointing down at the canine in question. "And that is a wolf if I ever saw one."

She instinctively took another step back. Quinn really looked as though she was seconds away from striking her and she couldn't have anything happen to her nose…

She waited apprehensively for Quinn to say or do something in retaliation. The blonde seemed to open her mouth to speak but then closed it. She visibly noticed the girl's shoulders relax and felt herself become more at ease in response.

She swiped the bead of sweat collecting at the top of her forehead before speaking up. She briefly gestured to the wolf at Quinn's side. "You know you should really have him on a leash."

Though she didn't buy into Quinn's claim that he was merely a dog, she figured it best to go along with it unless she wanted the blonde to sic the animal on her. Couldn't have that.

"He doesn't need one."

"Yes, I'm sure he doesn't." she muttered under her breath as she crossed her arms, eyeing the wolf and its razor sharp teeth warily. Evidently Quinn heard her for she arched one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows at her. Shaking her head, Quinn turned her attention back onto her so-called dog. "He's just very protective. He doesn't do well with strangers." she explained, one hand running through the russet wolf's fur in attempt to soothe the creature.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise when it seemed to be working. "Well…You know you really shouldn't be out here alone."

Quinn looked back at her, seemingly amused. "I could say the same to you."

"I have mace and a rape whistle." she informed her promptly. "_Do you_?"

When Quinn didn't answer, she nodded and picked her mace up off the ground and brushed it clean. "I thought as much." She eyed the blonde curiously as she stuffed her mace back into her pocket. She couldn't help but notice that she had on the same clothes she had worn yesterday at school. Not to mention her rather mussed hair…"What are you doing out here anyways?"

"Just going for a walk." Quinn replied, her fingers now lightly scratching behind the wolf's left ear.

The lines in her forehead creased as her own eyebrow arched skeptically. "_Barefoot_?"

Quinn stopped and briefly glanced down at her own feet before shrugging sheepishly and lifting her gaze. "Not much of a shoe person, I guess." She straightened up and smoothed out the skirt of her dress.

"Right…" She hesitated for a second. "Anyways, though I know we haven't spoken since our little confrontation in the cafeteria, I've been meaning to talk to you."

Quinn sighed in exasperation, staring at her jadedly with crossed arms. "Look, Rachel, I already told you-"

"Yes. Yes. I know." she calmly interjected. "I just…well I realized that I never formally apologized to you for jumping to conclusions like I did. Bu you can't really blame me, I mean after all, you are…." she drifted off

"I am _what_?" Quinn inquired, brow arched expectantly.

"Well…you're…you!"

Quinn's lips formed a small frown. "And what is that supposed to mean, exactly?"

"It means you're practically perfect in every way." she replied, throwing her hands up in the air exasperatedly.

"I'm pretty sure you're describing Mary Poppins."

She waved her hand dismissively. "We're getting off topic. The point is I want to thank you for not having any interest in Finn."

"I already told you he's not my type." Quinn turned her body ready to leave. She instinctively stepped forward to stop her but the blonde's wolf snapped at her prompting her to keep her distance.

"I myself find pets unnecessary." she stated, snapping her attention away from the rumbling wolf. "I never wanted a dog. Actually, scratch that - when I was seven I did go through a brief Toto-coveting phase after far too many viewings of The Wizard of Oz. I eventually came to my senses though. After all the first rule of show business is to never work with children or animals." She wasn't sure why she was informing Quinn of this but she was sure that the blonde was thinking something along the same lines.

"To each his own, I guess." Quinn replied with a dismissive shrug, before turning her body once again to leave.

"If you don't mind my saying, you don't see like the animal loving type."

"Well, that just goes to show that you don't really know me, Rachel." Quinn responded over her shoulder before her figure retreated deeper into the depths of the forest, the wolf at her side.

She stood rooted in her spot until the blonde was no longer in sight. Once Quinn was completely gone, she turned around and headed back the way she came with one thought in mind. _That girl is hiding something_.

And she had every intention on finding out what that _something_ was. After all it was practically her duty as glee co-captain to find out any information liable to disturb the club's well being. Cause for all they knew Quinn Fabray could have supernatural powers and be the real life version of _Carrie_.

Or maybe she was just an intrusively inquisitive person who wanted to find out what the deal with Quinn Fabray was.

Either way she had some befriending to do….

* * *

**AN: If you'd like more, just tell me so. If not, thanks for reading anyways! Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Big thanks to those who reviewed, favorited and/or alerted the last chapter! Needless to say I will be continuing with this thing. **

**-by the way in the last chapter, I borrowed some dialogue from one of the Glee novels, so that is not mine. **

**Anyways, read. enjoy. review!**

* * *

Rachel didn't bother to divulge the information of her newfound mission to her fellow glee-clubbers. While she had momentarily debated enlisting their help, she surmised it would simply be a waste of breath. But if she had decided to tell them, she could already picture Kurt and Mercedes exchanging their _bitch-be-crazy _looks with one another while the others would simply tell her, in different variations, that she was insane. But since she already got enough of that from the group whenever she pitched an idea in glee, she decided to keep this matter all to herself.

It wasn't like she _really_ needed any of their help anyways, because as of today, she realized she had the universe on her side. She had first come to this realization during glee when Mr. Schuester set a duets assignment for the week. The pairings had been chosen at random via a black hat - and to her delight she had chosen Quinn.

The second the bell signaling the end of class rang, she hopped out of her seat, gathered her things in one swift movement, and headed out the door. Since she hadn't had the opportunity to talk to Quinn about their duet during glee - Mr. Schuester had given the assignment near the end of their meeting and left no time for discussion - she hoped to catch up with the blonde during lunch.

She spotted said blonde on her way to the cafeteria. Rachel had caught a quick glimpse of her as she passed one of the adjacent hallways and quickly rerouted her destination. Quinn was at her locker, in the process of putting her books away when she jostled her way over to her. "Quinn."

The blonde turned her head and gave her an acknowledging nod. "Rachel."

"I tried to catch you after Chemistry," - they had the class together, but today their teacher didn't leave room for any socialization whatsoever- "but you were already gone."

"I have my next class on the other side of campus." Quinn explained as she pulled a textbook from her bag and slipped it into her locker. "I tend to have to hurry in order to make it on time."

She nodded her head understandingly, all the while making a mental note to get her hands on a copy of the blonde's schedule. _Oh! Maybe I could even get access to her personal file!_

"Anyways, about our glee assignment. I was thinking we could meet up after school to run over some ideas. You could come over to my house tonight and we could order pizza…"

"Look, Rachel." Quinn stopped her movements and looked over at her, one hand resting on the door of her locker. "Why don't you just pick out a song for us to sing and give me a copy of the lyrics?"

Her brow furrowed. "_Really_? You don't care what we sing?" Quinn had to have been the first.

"Yeah, it doesn't really matter to me." she replied, closing her locker shut. "Besides, it'll be easier this way and save us a lot of time."

"As much as I agree with you on that, it wouldn't feel right if I just _chose_ the song." _Not necessarily true but whatever._ "We should sing something that we both enjoy. It is after all, a _duet_."

"Okay then." Quinn sighed. "I'll just email you a list of songs or artists I particularly like and then you could chose something. Now I've really got to go. Bye Rachel."

And with that the blonde was gone. Yet again.

"Honestly." she huffed under her breath before deciding to follow the girl. _Where does she have to disappear to all the time? _

She trailed Quinn at a reasonable pace - couldn't have her know she was following her - but made sure she had sight of her at all times. _Maybe Quinn is secretly seeing Finn after all! Maybe he was two timing her! _No. Finn loved her. He's wanted a relationship with her for months now, he wouldn't have some other girl off to the side. _Unless Quinn is giving him what she hasn't…well yet._ No. That was something Puck would do, not Finn.

_Or maybe Quinn's having an affair with someone else! _She gasped. What if it was a teacher…_Mr. Schuester _maybe? She balked at the very idea - even though she had developed a minor crush on him last year, she was completely over it now and found all thoughts of the man in a less than platonic way utterly disgusting.

When Quinn pushed the doors to the front entrance and slipped outside, Rachel scurried after her before she got too far ahead. Knowing it was against school rules to leave the property, even during lunch, she warily stepped outside. She feared getting caught - especially by Sue Sylvester. Then her perfect record would be tarnished and she could say good-bye to attending a prestigious performing arts school after graduating.

She jogged all the way to the start of the student parking lot only to stop and frown as Quinn crossed the adjacent street. She shook her head disapprovingly at the girl's blatant disregard of jaywalking. Didn't she know that was how people got struck and killed by oncoming traffic?

She folded her arms across her chest and waited for Quinn to reach her destination, whatever that was. Once the girl was on the other side of the road, Rachel's eyes had to strain to see where exactly Quinn was going. It took a few seconds before it clicked in her mind where Quinn was off to. Beyond the residential housing on the other side of the street was the woods.

_Interesting_.

* * *

"Are you in love with Quinn?" Of all the questions she could have possibly been greeted with, Rachel was positive _that_ one was had to of been the _least_ expected.

"What kind of a question is that?" Was her instant response as she set her lunch tray on the table and took a seat. Kurt and Mercedes both simultaneously rolled their eyes.

"Don't play dumb, Rachel." Kurt warned. "We've seen how you've been acting this week."

Brow furrowing, her gaze darted between the four glee clubbers who were staring at her expectantly. Like they were waiting for her to confess to something. "And how have I been acting exactly?"

"These past two days you've suddenly gone completely stalker status on Quinn." Mercedes explained, adding a scoff to show her incredulity at Rachel's cluelessness.

The others nodded their heads, completely agreeing with Mercedes' statement. "Like Swimfan."

She glared at Artie for that comment to which he shrugged and replied, "Hey, I just call them like I see 'em."

"You guys are _completely_ out of your minds. I am _not _stalking Quinn." _Honestly. And people claimed she was the crazy one of the group!_

Tina folded her arms across her chest, unconvinced. "I've caught you watching her in glee more than once."

"Just yesterday I saw you trailing after her like a bloodhound in the hallways!" Kurt exclaimed pointedly.

_Note to self: work on the subtlety…. _

Tina shook her head in contempt. "You're like _obsessed _with her."

"Baby girl you need some _serious_ help." Mercedes stated while the others agreed. "I'd go see Ms. Pillsbury ASAP if I were you. She probably has a pamphlet that can help you out."

"I am not obsessed with Quinn." she replied with frustration, slamming her hands down on the table for extra emphasis. "And I most certainly am not in love with her." _What a preposterous idea!_

"And yet your eyes continually dart over in the corner where she's sitting even as you're speaking to us." Artie surveyed, his fingers pushing his glasses back up the ridge of his nose.

"I'll have you know that I love _Finn_. And as for Quinn I am merely trying to befriend her, that is _all_."

Mercedes arched her eyebrow skeptically. "_By stalking her_?"

"You really have no social skills _whatsoever_." Kurt murmured with a shake of his head.

"For the last time I am not stalking her!" she exclaimed exasperatedly. "I just want to know what her deal is! Is that so hard to believe? I mean she's so _secretive. _Don't any of you want to know _why_?"

Kurt threw his head back and groaned. "It's none of our business, Rachel. Just leave the girl _alone_."

"Yeah, before you do something stupid and make Quinn want to quit the club - because if that happens we will be without our twelfth member." Mercedes said with a stern look on her face.

Tina glared at her. "And then we can just kiss sectionals goodbye. Thanks to _you_."

"That will never happen." she stated matter-of-factly. "We are going to win sectionals again. And then we are going to take regionals before ending the year with a _national_ championship title."

"Our point is that we want you to forget about your little scheme that you have cooking in that brain of yours." Kurt told her with a sigh.

"Because all your crazy ass ideas _always_ blow up in your face." Mercedes finished with a mirthful smile.

She would have stamped her foot in protest had she been standing upright. "They do _not_."

Sometimes, but not always.

* * *

_Phew. _Rachel released her pencil from her grasp and rubbed her aching wrist. As punishment for the class' less than swell test scores, her math teacher had assigned twice as much homework than he usually did. She had tried to convince her teacher to only punish those who did poorly on last week's test rather than the whole class but he wouldn't hear of it. She gathered up the four pages of notebook paper filled front to back with algebraic equations and neatly tucked them into the front pocket of her math folder. Once her folder was back in her school bag, she glanced at her wristwatch to check the time. Good. She still had time.

Since her dads would both be away on business for the next two days, she figured she would stop by the grocery store to stock up on food so she could prepare own meals rather than resort to takeout like her dads commonly did.

It was only ten past eight - still relatively early in the evening and the perfect time for a trip to the grocery store. Personally she preferred doing her shopping at night just because it was less of a hassle. She could be in and out within half an hour.

She quickly gathered up her purse, keys, and jacket before heading out.

After a ten minute drive through town, she pulled into the parking lot of Lima's local grocery chain and parked in a spot close to the store's entrance. She turned off the engine and hopped out of the driver's seat before locking her vehicle. With her list in hand, she passed through the entrance and ventured toward the carts.

She hummed merrily to herself as she gathered the items of her list without much of a rush. Since she had completed all of her homework and had no new episodes of her favorite television shows awaiting her on the DVR, she didn't have much to look forward to at home. She figured she could call up Finn but she knew he probably would be busy doing his homework and if he wasn't, he _should_ be. Especially History because even though she was tutoring him in the subject, there was only so much she could do to help him.

Once she picked up a carton of orange juice, she set it down in her cart before pushing onward toward the cheese and deli aisle. She had been too busy checking off her list to notice the other cart coming around the corner. The two collided. "Oh! I'm so sorry…" she began to apologize before looking up. Her eyebrows lifted on their own accord. _Woah, baby…_

The young man whose cart she bumped into was _huge_. And incredibly muscular. With arms that could choke a bear - or so she imagined. As her eyes raked over his body, her head tilted back. Up until now, Finn had been the tallest guy she had ever seen. But compared to the (very handsome) man in front of her, his height seemed utterly insignificant.

Realizing she had taken a second too long to gawk, she closed her mouth and pulled her cart back so he could pass. The young man gave a curt nod. "Thanks." His voice was deep and husky. She nodded and faintly smiled at him before he pushed past her and continued on his way. Unable to help herself, she subtly glanced over her shoulder and totally checked him out from behind. She knew it was wrong - since she had a devoted boyfriend and all - but gosh darn he had a nice derrière. She was sure that if she had a quarter…

Feeling her cheeks burning up, she hastily shook her head of _those_ thoughts and turned the corner to continue her shopping. _Think of Finn…think of Finn…your wonderful boyfriend…Finn…Finn…_

As soon as she completed her list, she carried on toward the front of the store, making a beeline for the first available checkout counter. She felt her cheeks flush again when she pulled her cart up behind the Mr. Tall, dark, and handsome she had bumped into a few minutes ago. Thankfully he paid her no attention.

While she patiently waited for the line to move - the woman at the very front was trying to pay with a check and the teenage boy at the register didn't even know what a check was - she turned her attention to the tabloid magazines on her right. She picked up the _Us Weekly_ and began flipping through it. One day she would grace the pages of _Us Weekly. _She could already see a picture of herself grocery shopping under the _Stars, They're Just Like Us! _section.

The line then began to move, prompting her to set the magazine back in its place. Her gaze gravitated toward the young man in front of her who was currently in the process of unloading the contents of his cart onto the conveyor belt. She had once read in _Cosmo_ that a girl could tell a lot about a man by the items in his shopping cart. She watched him upload a bunch of bags of various fruits and vegetables. If she could only get Finn to eat even a third of that. Honestly the boy thought that gummy fruit snacks were a suitable substitute for actual fruit.

Aside from the copious amount of bacon piled on the conveyor belt (it was like he was saving up for winter or something), the young man pretty much had the same standard grocery items that she had, just twice as much of it. Not that it surprised her. He looked like he could eat a whole cow in one day.

"Could you hold on a second?" The young man said to the check out clerk before quickly moving past her, murmuring "Excuse me" as he squeezed past her. She turned around and watched as he jogged over to where the balloons, greeting cards, and floral bouquets were. He picked out a beautiful bouquet of flowers from the refrigerated area in which they were stored in and jogged back to the line. "Here, ring these up too. Thanks."

So he had a special someone. _Good for him_. She liked knowing people had love in their lives just like she did. It gave her a warm, happy feeling.

As he began paying the cashier, she piled her grocery items on the conveyor belt. A few minutes later she exited the store with receipt in hand (she always liked to double check that no mistakes were made) and headed toward her car. She brought the cart to a halt when she reached the bumper and fished her keys out of her pocket. She opened the trunk with the click of a button and then proceeded to unload her groceries from the cart.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the young man doing the same a few parking spots down. When she dared to completely stop and turn her head, she noticed that his truck looked vaguely familiar. Like she had seen it before. But seeing as how Lima was a small town, she figured she had.

* * *

_As if the universe couldn't get any more on my side! _Rachel thought gleefully as her Chemistry teacher passed around the requirements for the class's lab project, which would be done in _pairs_.

"This project will be done on you and your partner's _own time_." Their teacher, Mr. Bateman, explained. "There will be no class time given, since we simply have too much to cover already. Failing to complete this assignment will result in an failing grade for the semester. No question about it…And no, Brittany, once again I will not accept any work written in _crayon_."

She turned around in her seat just in time to see a baffled Brittany slowly retract her hand from the air. The blonde then leaned into her table partner, Santana Lopez, and whispered, "San, Mr. Bateman is a mind reader! Do you think if I bring Lord Tubbington to school, he'll be able to read his mind too? Cause I really want to know if Lord Tubbington's really been reading my diary. Every time I confront him about it, he just shrugs and runs away."

Shaking her head at Brittany's naiveté, Rachel turned back around and glanced over the sheet in front of her again. She deemed the teacher's grading scale satisfactory and the assignment itself didn't look to be too difficult. "Okay, does everyone got a paper?" When the class nodded their heads -some murmuring a positive response, including Rachel - Mr. Bateman announced, "Good. Now I will give you two minutes to pair up with a partner of your own choosing."

Wanting to approach Quinn before anyone else had the chance to, she promptly pushed her chair back and stood up. She turned around to make sure Quinn was still in her seat only to find her table empty. She spun around and realized the blonde was at the teacher's desk - no doubt trying to convince the man to let her do this project on her own. _Boy she's fast. _

She walked around her table and approached Mr. Bateman as well. "Um, excuse me, Mr. Bateman?" she politely interrupted, prompting Quinn to turn around. "I don't seem to have a partner."

Mr. Bateman nodded understandingly before fixating his attention back on Quinn. "As you can see, Ms. Fabray, we have an even number amount of students here so there's no need to do this assignment on your own."

Quinn immediately started to protest. "But, really, I'm fine with just-"

"Since both you and Ms. Berry need a partner, you two will be paired up for this assignment. End of discussion."

Quinn reluctantly nodded her head and turned on her heel, retreating back up the aisle toward her table in the very back of the classroom. Rachel quickly gathered up her things before following suit. "You know I think the universe is trying to tell us something." she stated as she slid into the empty chair next to Quinn. "First glee, now this." Quinn just nodded her head, her enthusiasm for this project about the same as for their glee assignment.

"So we should plan out when to work on this project as to avoid the likelihood of procrastination." She opened her binder and pulled out her agenda, then flipped to the current month.

"How about this weekend?" Quinn suggested, her eyes glancing over the assignment sheet.

"I really think we should start on this assignment sooner than that. You know, just to be on the safe side." Besides she had her whole weekend schedule completely booked with fun activities for her and Finn to do.

"How about tonight? And that way we could practice our glee assignment as well." She then reached into her bag and pulled out her pink glee folder. "I've already printed out the lyrics for a couple of song selections I've been leaning toward but I want you to have the final say." She handed over a stack of sheet music to Quinn.

"I can't tonight." The blonde replied, shaking her head as she slipped the lyric sheets in her folder. "I can work with you after school but I would have to leave before it gets dark."

"Do you have a job where you work the night shift or something?"

Quinn cracked a stiff smile and nodded. "Yeah, something like that."

_Okay…."_Anyways, we'll have to work at _your_ house because my dads are having their community troupe over to rehearse and they can get rather rambunctious. We wouldn't be able to get any work done, trust me." A complete and utter lie, every word of it, but if she wanted to get Quinn to open up she figured it would best happen some place where the blonde was most comfortable.

Well, that and she was _really_ curious as to what Quinn's house looked like.

"Well then we can just work here at the library instead."

"The library is closed all this week what with the librarian being out with mono….or so I heard it was mono." At least that was what Noah Puckerman told her one day before glee.

"I guess we can work at my house." Quinn murmured softly, reluctantly nodding her head.

"Perfect!" She clasped her hands together before taking out a sticky note from her binder as well as a pen. "Here." She handed the two items to Quinn. "You'll need to write down your address. I can mapquest the directions."

Quinn quickly jotted down an address before handing the pad of paper and pen back over to her. "My house is kind of out of the way, just so you know."

"That's okay. Oh, what lovely penmanship!" Rachel commented before she placed the items back in her binder.

* * *

"When you said your house was out of the way, you weren't kidding." Rachel breathed out a laugh as she walked up toward Quinn's porch where the blonde was waiting. The two story house stood alone in the midst of the woods, near the outskirts of town, far from the residential areas that most of Lima's population lived in. "For a minute I thought you had given me a fake address or something."

"Kind of why I didn't want to work here." Quinn replied over her shoulder as she pushed the large wooden door open and stepped inside. "It's too much of a drive for you to have to take."

"It's nothing." she assured as she followed Quinn through the door, the blonde then closing it behind her. "The drive was hardly what I call far." She shrugged off her jacket and draped it over her arm.

"Here let me take that for you."

"Thanks." Rachel smiled gratefully to her as the blonde took her jacket and hung it up in a nearby closet. "Where's your…dog?" She always thought dogs liked to run out to greet whoever came over - at least that's what she picked up from television and movies. But then again Quinn's canine wasn't _actually _a dog.

"He's somewhere out back. He doesn't care much for the indoors."

_Yeah, cause he's a __**wolf**_.

She looked around in awe as Quinn led her into the living room. She particularly liked the large fireplace. "You have a lovely home." Not exactly what she orginally imagined but still lovely nonetheless. "It's like living in a cabin or a lodge deep in the mountains or something." she commented, still taking in the refreshing rustic interior.

She gravitated toward a beautiful landscape painting hanging on one of the walls. "This is beautiful." She had always admired those who could draw or paint since she really didn't excel in either. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise when she noticed a small _QF _written in the corner. She immediately glanced back at Quinn who was standing off to the side. "_You_ painted this?"

"Uh, yeah." The blonde said quietly, rubbing the back of her neck in what Rachel assumed to be embarrassment.

She turned back to the painting and cocked her head to the side. "Is it supposed to be somewhere in the Appalachian mountains?"

"Er…no. Pacific Northwest." Quinn answered quickly before asking, "Can I get you anything to drink? I just made some iced tea."

Rachel turned to respond only to find that Quinn was already on her way into the kitchen. _How odd._ Either way she walked away from the painting and followed the path Quinn had taken. She found the blonde just as she was plucking two glasses from the cabinet above the sink.

She seated herself in one of the stools at the counter and innocently asked, "So where are your parents?"

"I…uh…live alone." Quinn replied with her back still turned to Rachel. She watched as the blonde opened up the refrigerator and almost immediately noticed the numerous packs of bacon sitting on one of the shelves. "You sure do have a lot of bacon."

"I'm kind of addicted to it." Quinn admitted with a sheepish chuckle as she removed a pitcher full of ice tea from the bottom shelf. "I mean, I know it's absolutely bad for you," She closed the door with her foot. "But it just tastes _so_ good."

"So I've heard." She wouldn't know being Jewish and all. "Anyways, back to your parents. Are you emancipated from them or something?"

"No. They're dead." Quinn poured some iced tea in one glass before handing it to her. When she met Rachel's gaze, her brow furrowed at the expression on her face. "What's wrong?"

"It's just I wasn't expecting _that_." Rachel replied honestly, still quite shocked. Now she understood why there was a complete lack of family photos hanging around.

"It happened a _long_ time ago." Quinn picked up the pitcher again and put it back in the refrigerator. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Still." She gingerly took a sip of her drink. "To have to live in this huge house all by yourself?" She hopped off the stool with iced tea in hand when Quinn gestured for them to head back into the living room. "Wait how did you even pay for this place?"

"I have a large trust fund. Now we should probably get started on that science project…"

Though she really wanted to stay on topic of Quinn's home life, she knew the blonde would just deflect back to their work at hand if she tried to bring it up again. So instead she would refrain for the time being. Or at least _try _to.

* * *

"Quinn, where's your bathroom?" About an hour into working in their project, Rachel finally began to feel the effects having a full bladder - thanks to all the iced tea. She pushed herself out of the dining room chair she had been sitting in and smoothed out her skirt as Quinn replied.

"Upstairs and to the right. It will be at the very end of the hall."

Rachel nodded and sauntered out of the dining room before bounding for the stairs. With Quinn's words in mind, she hurried toward the door at the end of the hall - despite her peaked curiosity urging her to stop and see what was behind the various doors on either side of her.

Once she was done, she closed the bathroom door behind her and bit down on her lip as she debated whether or not to do some _exploring_.

She quietly walked down the length of the hallway before abruptly wrapping her hand around one of the doorknobs and peering inside. She smiled triumphantly upon realizing it was the master bedroom. She slipped inside and instantly started looking around. Quinn's room was not as girlish as Rachel's own room. And it certainly did not look like the typical teenage girl's room either.

Instead of bright pastel colored walls, the room was painted neutrally with deep blues and greens accented in the bedspread and on the nature centric artwork on the walls. The furniture was deep mahogany and the room had hardwood flooring just like in the rest of the house.

She tiptoed over to the closet and gently pushed aside the sliding door which revealed the closet's contents. Her mouth slightly went agape when she saw that, aside from Quinn's rack of dresses and cardigans, there was men's clothing hanging right next to it.

What was this _Victor Victoria_?

_No way. _Even if Quinn had an thing for wearing men's clothing, these clothes here were like, three times her size. If she didn't know any better she would have said that Quinn was lying about living alone.

_Boy this whole thing is getting more interesting by the second_. Figuring she had better get back downstairs before Quinn came to look for her, she gently slid the closet door back in place and left the room. She was just about to head down the staircase when a room on the side of the hallway caught her eye at the last second. _Okay, just one quick look_.

She scurried over to the already opened room and peered inside. The room wasn't a bedroom, but instead a room dedicated solely to a vast amount of books and records. Shelves and shelves of books lined half the room while the other half was lined with records. It was astounding.

She stepped toward the record player by the window and lifted up the empty album jacket next to it. Fleetwood Mac's _Rumours_. One of her favorites.

"Having fun?"

She practically jumped out of her skin right then and there before spinning around. Quinn stood in the doorway, arms crossed, and did not look pleased.

She winced. "I'm sorry, Quinn. I just, well, I passed by the room and noticed-" she gestured to the room, cheeks burning with embarrassment all the while. "all this and I couldn't help myself. Your collection is truly remarkable." Unfortunately for her, ending on a compliment didn't seem to placate the blonde any less.

Quinn stepped out of the doorway and into the room. "Thank you, Rachel, but that still doesn't give you the right to go snooping around _my_ house."

She set down the album jacket still in her hands and nodded in agreement. "You're completely right. I was out of line." She apologized once more before exiting the room, Quinn following close behind after she closed the door.

* * *

"Have you ever been slushied, Quinn?" The question came out of the blue. The two of them had been working diligently on their science project for the past hour in relative silence and Rachel was becoming less tolerable of the silence by the minute. Quinn lifted her gaze from the words of their textbook, eyebrow slightly quirking at Rachel's random question. "Just once."

She then turned her attention back onto the text in front of her.

"You're lucky." She hadn't even made it past the first day of middle school with that kind of streak. Rachel glanced back at the paragraph she had just written on noble gases and set her pencil down. She felt like she had done enough science for today and since they had accomplished far more than expected - Quinn was surprisingly highly intelligent - she figured it wouldn't hurt to move onto their glee assignment. After all _that_ was due by the end of the week and this project wasn't due for at least another week and a half.

"What about _Dreams_?"

"What about them?" Quinn responded, her eyes never wavering from her textbook.

"No, _the song_." she clarified with a light chuckle. "You clearly like Fleetwood Mac. How about we do that song for our duet in glee?" Quinn finally met her gaze, clearly intrigued by her proposition. "Your voice would be perfect for it."

"Well, if you're sure…" She enthusiastically nodded her head. "I'm positive. When I get home tonight I'll get the sheet music-"

"No need." Quinn interrupted as she rose from her chair. "I've already have it. I always planned to do the song someday in glee but I have never plucked up the courage to go through with it." she explained after noticing Rachel's surprised expression. "Just give me a second I left it on top of the piano."

"Oh you play?" With her curiosity getting the better of her, she pushed herself out of her chair and walked around the table, intent on joining Quinn to retrieve the music.

"Yeah." Quinn reluctantly led her out of the dining room and into another room at the end of the hallway. The first thing she noticed was that the room had an entire wall completely made out of glass, making the space feel more open and free than it would have felt it had been a solid fourth wall. She gravitated closer toward the massive window to get a better look at the backyard. It truly was a beautiful sight, especially with the deep orange glow radiating from the slowly retreating sun shining through the trees.

"So was this wall already like this when you got the house or…" She turned away from the scenery and glanced back at Quinn who was busy rifling through a bunch of sheet music spread out (in a rather disorderly way, she noticed. She would have to inform Quinn on the benefits of organization later) over the top of her black grand piano.

"No I had the glass put in." Quinn triumphantly pulled out the sheet music she was looking for and neatly stacked it. "I'll be right back. I'm just going to make a copy of these." The blonde headed for the doorway before suddenly stopping mid-step to cast her a quick look. "Can I trust you not to do any more snooping?"

"You most certainly can." Rachel stated matter-of-factly with a solemn raise of her right hand. "I promise to abstain from snooping while in your domicile."

Though she first took a moment to roll her eyes, Quinn exited the room with a small smile playing on her lips.

Rachel refocused her attention on the piano in the center of the room and moved closer to it. She grazed her fingers over the black and white keys before settling down onto the small bench. She lifted her gaze from the keys and reached out for some sheet music still lying on the top. She stopped, though, when she noticed for the first time the vase of flowers set atop the piano in the center. She had seen _that_ particular floral bouquet just yesterday while at the grocery store. The _exact_ one that the young man ahead of her in line had purchased…

"Here you go, Rachel." Quinn crossed the threshold of the doorway with a freshly printed copy of sheet music, prompting her to rise from the piano bench.

"Thanks." she gratefully took the papers Quinn handed to her before gesturing back to the vase of flowers. "Those are lovely flowers you have there. They smell heavenly."

She watched as Quinn's gaze flickered behind her. A fond smile eased across the blonde's lips as she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, they do, don't they?"

Quinn drew closer to them and cocked her head to the side as she continued to admire the arrangement. "They were a gift."

Rachel could tell by the look on the blonde's face that they were a gift she was delighted to receive. "Does this mean you have a secret admirer?" she lightly teased.

_Or a secret live-in boyfriend you're hiding… _(She had to bite down on her tongue just to keep that latter part from slipping out).

Quinn was quick to revert back to their original subject before any oversharing took place (much to Rachel's dismay). "We should probably get started on the song."

"Right." She refocused her attention on the sheet music she had in her grasp. "I think you should take the first verse and then-"

"Shit!" Cut off by Quinn's sudden exclamation, she quickly lifted her gaze to see what had caused the blonde's outburst. "Wha-"

"You have to go." Quinn's voice slightly cracked at the end. Rachel could only assume it was from sudden panic by the way the blonde grabbed her shoulders and spun her around before pushing her out of the room and down the hallway toward the front door.

"But we haven't even begun on our glee assignment." she started to protest, glancing back at the blonde over her shoulder. "We still have-"

"We can work on it tomorrow during lunch or something." Quinn hastily fumbled with the doorknob before yanking the entrance wide open and practically shoving her out onto the porch.

Rachel instantly whipped around, hands flying to her hips. "What about my stuff!" She didn't even have her car keys for Pete's sake!

"Right." Quinn bolted back inside and returned with her arms full of Rachel's belongings. "Here. I'm sorry about this, Rachel, but I didn't realize how late it had gotten."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "But it's not even-" Quinn slipped in another quick apology before abruptly slamming the door in her face. "…dark." _Well at least not for another couple of minutes._

Rachel was left standing there, deeply confused, with flashbacks of her short time served as a girl scout.

* * *

Even though she had a pretty good idea as to what Quinn was hiding, she was still left with the mystery of why Quinn felt she had be so secretive about it. So the girl lived with her attractive boyfriend. That was hardly what Rachel considered to be taboo.

_Maybe they're actually siblings_ _who have an incestuous relationship with one another_. She wrinkled her nose at the very thought and crossed off that idea almost as quickly as she had come up with it. Even she had to admit that scenario was utterly preposterous.

Not to mention gross.

Rachel set her things down on the kitchen counter once she was back home and began reorganizing the papers and folders that Quinn had so nicely shoved into her arms before kicking her out of her house. She was almost halfway done when she realized one of her notebooks was missing. Knowing she had it in her bag before she had left the house earlier, she did a double check to ensure it really was gone and not just hiding. She groaned when she realized she did not have it with her. She must have left it at Quinn's house.

Damn. She really needed that notebook too. She had her U.S History homework in there and it was due tomorrow morning. With a frustrated sigh, she threw on her jacket again and grabbed her purse and keys off the counter.

She did not have any way to contact the blonde so she was stuck driving back to her house to retrieve her notebook - otherwise she would have just called or texted Quinn to bring it with her to school.

_It sure is creepy out here at night. _Rachel speculated as she turned onto the narrow dirt road that led to Quinn's house. She hopped out of her car as soon as it was parked and bounded up the porch steps before fervently knocking on the front door.

"Quinn, it's me, Rachel." she called out with hope that the blonde was still home. "I left one of my notebooks here and I really need it." She started pushing on the doorbell. She could hear its ring echoing throughout the house on the other side of the door. "Quinn, if you're home please answer the door. I promise I'll be in and out just like that. Heck, you don't even have to let me in. I just need my notebook."

She persistently knocked and rang the doorbell for a minute or two before realizing that her attempts were futile. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she turned away from the door and headed back down the porch.

_Maybe I just left it in the back seat or something._ With that thought in mind, she walked around her car and opened up both the passenger's door as well as one of the back doors. She switched on the light and checked under the passenger seat before jumping into the back seat to check there. Another frustrated groan escaped her when she once again came up empty handed. _I could always sneak into her house_. _I have a crowbar in the trunk and I'm small…I could get in and out before she even notices a thing._

God what was she even saying? She was talking like _Puck_. And even if she did decide to sneak into Quinn's house, with her luck she would probably get caught and then arrested for breaking and entering. The last thing she needed was a blemish like that to haunt her for the rest of her academic career.

_Snap. _

Startled at the sudden noise, she reeled her head back only to smack it against the frame of the doorway. "Ow!" She ungracefully staggered back out of her vehicle, one hand clutching the side of her head. She could hear the light crunching of leaves signaling to her that she was no longer alone. With her other hand, she whipped out her keys from her pocket and grabbed the small canister of mace she attached on a key chain. "Quinn, is t-that y-you?"

Quickly realizing that the large figure slowly approaching her from the depths of the trees certainly _wasn't_ Quinn and convinced it was a chainsaw wielding psychopath determined to decapitate her or _worse, _she did what every other sixteen year-old girl would do in the same situation.

She maced the guy.

* * *

**AN: Review please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Big thanks to those who reviewed, favorited, and/or alerted this story! Means a lot! **

**So, without further ado, read. enjoy. review!**

* * *

A second after successfully macing the man, Rachel realized _who_ exactly she had pepper sprayed. "Oh my god! I-I am so sorry!" she exclaimed frantically over the young man's agonized groaning and crude expletives. She shoved the canister back into her pocket and kneeled down to help the young man from the grocery store get back to his feet. "I thought you were a murderer or a rapist or something!"

He swiped away at the hand she extended for his benefit and proceeded to stand upright on his own. As he straightened up, her form dwarfed against his giant-like stature. She continued to apologize even as he spat out profanities directed toward her.

"I am so sorry! But just keep blinking. And here…" She spun around, ducked back into her passenger seat, and grabbed her water bottle out of the cup holder. She quickly uncapped the bottle and handed it to him. He took it without hesitation and doused the bottle in its entirety over his burning eyes.

He tossed the empty bottle back to her, startling her. She fumbled with it for a second before recapping it and putting it back in her car. She tentatively turned back around and cringed at the redness of the young man's eyes. "I'm _really_ sorry about that." _So please don't hurt me…_

She watched him pinch the bridge of his nose, clearly fighting back the urge to rub his eyes (which would just make matters worse for him). "Who are you?" he asked through painfully shut eyes before they opened and narrowed at her.

"Rachel Berry." she formally introduced, going as far as holding out her hand for him to shake. She wasn't bothered that he didn't reach for it. She retracted her hand unaffectedly. "I am a friend of Quinn Fabray's."

His eyes flashed at the mention of Quinn's name. "A _friend_?" he repeated incredulously, his eyebrow lifting warily. By the tone of his voice, Rachel almost expected him to accuse her of lying right then and there.

"Yes, a _friend_." she retorted coolly, trying not to sound indignant.

"And she brought you _here_?" His brow was deeply furrowed with confusion.

"Yes, we have been paired up for a couple school assignments and since my home is currently unavailable for our use, we had to work here." He still seemed unwilling to believe her.

"Anyways, what's your name? I don't believe you've mentioned it yet."

"I know." She frowned when his body turned with the intent on walking away from her. She stopped him almost instantly. "Hey! You can't just walk away from a person when they're still talking to you."

He violently shrugged her hand off his forearm and continued walking toward the house.

"I need my notebook. I left it here earlier when I was working with Quinn." she explained as she scurried to catch up to his pace. "I tried knocking and ringing the doorbell, but she won't answer."

"That's because she's not home." he replied gruffly, the floorboards of the front porch creaking under the weight of his footsteps.

"Obviously otherwise she would have answered." she retorted with a roll of her eyes. Thankfully he didn't turn around so he didn't catch it. "It has my homework in it. Please." She stepped in front of him before he had the chance to wrap his hand around the doorknob. "If I don't have it for tomorrow I'll be in deep trouble."

His nostrils flared with a deep exhale of his breath. "Fine." he muttered, reaching behind her to open the front door. "But stay here."

"It's in the dining room." she promptly informed him before he closed the front door on her. She waited patiently with her hands clasped behind her back.

The front door opened in an instant with him holding out her red notebook with the golden stars decorating the cover. She took her notebook. "Now go home."

"Hold on a second." She pushed her hand against the door before he had a chance to close it on her again. "Are you Quinn's brother?"

He snorted and slightly glared at her for that remark. "Do I look like I'm her _brother_?"

She held out her hands and shrugged her shoulders, despite the fact that the young man in front of her looked _nothing_ like Quinn. "You two could be adopted siblings for all I know!"

"Well we're not." He was just about ready to close the door on her again but her hand shot out at the last second. "So then you're romantically involved?"

She paid no attention to the fact that he was suspicious of her now - or rather even _more_ so than he had been before.

His gaze hardened. "That is none of your business."

"Deny it all you want but I already figured out your relationship." she stated matter-of-factly, arms folding over her chest. "Those flowers you purchased at the grocery store are sitting on top of the piano. The packages of bacon you had in your cart are now stored in the refrigerator and half of the master bedroom's closet is filled with clothes that look to be _your_ size. You and Quinn are an item, that much is clear, but what I don't understand is why-"

"Okay." He interrupted decidedly. "You've got five seconds to get off this property before I call the cops."

She stared at him, mouth agape. "You can't arrest me! I did _nothing_ wrong!"

He stepped forward and brought the door along with him, prompting her to step back. "Says the girl who sounds like a _complete _psycho. Now get out of here and _don't_ come back."

She firmly held her ground even though she knew he could easily take her down. "And if I _refuse_?"

"Your funeral then."

Her eyes narrowed. "I will push that death threat aside only because I want to know why you and Quinn are hiding your relationship when there is absolutely no reason to."

"Evidently you're not leaving any time soon so I guess I'm going to have to be the one to leave." He pushed past her and descended down the porch steps, leaving her to, once again, go after him.

"Would you stop doing that!" she called out, chasing after him in a huff. _Why is that people are always trying to get away from me? _"I'm not done talking to you- WOAH, OH MY GOD!"

Something had swooped over her head mid-sentence prompting her to drop to the ground and duck. She immediately scowled behind her hands, which were protecting her face at the moment. She had heard the faint sound of a bird call just seconds before she was attacked but had been too preoccupied with chasing _him _to pay any attention to it. It was a good thing she had fast reflexes.

At the tender age of seven, her fathers had shown her _The Birds _and ever since then she had a strong aversion to all birds. And why wouldn't she? After all they liked to poop on people and could easily peck a person's eyes out. Not to mention they were just downright creepy.

With that thought in mind, she pushed herself upright and quickly dusted her skirt off. When she lifted her head back to meet his gaze, she jerked backward when she realized he had a bird perched on his shoulder. The same one that had nearly decapitated her a few seconds ago no doubt.

"I take it you don't like owls?" He seemed amused by that fact, which she did not appreciate. At all.

She warily eyed the small owl staring at her. "Actually it's birds in general."

"She won't hurt you." The owl gave a small hoot as if to reiterate his claim. But Rachel still wasn't buying into it - no matter how cute and adorable the feathery creature was. She knew that the cuter the animal, the more vicious it actually was. Just take koalas for example. They would rip your face off as soon as you got close enough to them.

"What is with you guys and keeping wild animals as pets?" she inquired, turning her gaze back onto him. "What are you, too good for the domesticated kind?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know. Quinn's so-called _dog_." She did air quotes around word _dog_. "Which I know is just a wolf, but for some reason she-"

He stopped her right there. "Wait, you've seen him?"

She looked at him curiously for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. Last week while I was going for a run in the woods, the mongrel came out of nowhere and was _this_ close to making a meal out of me! If Quinn hadn't have stepped in, I would have been a goner for sure! And then I would have died without even seeing Broadway let alone starring on it!" She shuddered at the very idea of such a thing happening.

"Okay then…." He seemed at a loss on how to respond to that, which then resulted in the two of them standing around in awkward silence.

"Not to be rude, but shouldn't you…_leave_?" He nodded toward the notebook in her hand. "You have what you came for."

"Right." Her fingers tapped against her notebook as she slowly turned on her heel. She hesitated for a moment before turning back around. "It was nice meeting…" she trailed off when she realized that she was just talking to empty air. She frowned. At least Quinn had the decency to say _goodbye_ before she bolted.

Well, most of the time.

* * *

"So how was _your_ night?" Finn had just finished filling her in on the details of _his_ night - which consisted of him playing _Halo_ for five hours, where he conquered three levels, and doing _zero_ amount of homework.

"Interesting." she replied, smiling gratefully when he opened the door to the cafeteria for her. "I went over to Quinn's house to work on our chemistry project as well as our glee assignment, though we didn't have enough time to get to that."

"Cool. How'd it go over?" He picked up two red trays when they reached the end of the lunch line and handed one to her.

"Alright, I suppose." She set her tray down on the counter and gathered up silverware. "We got most of our chemistry project done but we still have yet to rehearse our song for glee."

"What song are you going to sing?" Finn asked curiously while he piled various food items onto his tray.

"Dreams by Fleetwood Mac."

"Awesome." He grabbed a turkey sandwich that looked to have the most meat in it and set it on his tray. "My mom loves that band."

"Yeah, apparently Quinn does too." She placed a side salad onto his tray when he wasn't looking. God only knew Finn should start eating healthier if he didn't want to develop heart disease later on in life. She shook her head when he placed an oatmeal raisin cookie on both their trays - he would no doubt eat hers after they paid since she didn't like anything with raisins.

Finn nodded. "Yeah, they're like, her favorite band."

Her brow instantly furrowed at that remark. "Wait, how do _you_ know?"

"She told me about it like, last year when we had Spanish with Mr. Schue together." he explained, stopping to pull out his wallet. "We shared a table and one day I was trying to make small talk by, you know, asking her what kind of music she was into and she mentioned Fleetwood Mac."

And how did she not know about this? Oh. Right. Because that was when she completely enamored with Jesse St. James.

"Yeah, if it hadn't of been for Quinn, I wouldn't have passed that class. I actually got a B+ because she helped me prepare for the final!" He turned and handed the lunch lady with money, enough for both their lunches, with a genuine smile on his face.

"That's great." She wasn't surprised that her unenthusiasm was rendered unnoticed by Finn. He was always rather oblivious.

"Yeah." He snatched her cookie off her tray before giving her a quick kiss. He straightened up and flashed her that adorable lopsided smile of his. "I'll see you later?"

She nodded and watched him venture off toward the tables where Puck and the rest of the football guys, as well as the Cheerios, sat.

Though she would have preferred it if he joined her with the rest of their fellow glee clubbers, she knew she couldn't expect him to spend every waking moment together with her. After all that was what freaked him out when they became an item the first time around. Or maybe it was just the his and her calendar with their faces photoshopped onto kittens that had him freaked.

Sighing, she readjusted her grip on her tray and proceeded to cross the lunchroom. On her way toward her usual table, she crossed paths with two Cheerios. Thankfully they didn't try to trip her like they usually did. Instead she was just met with usual, tiresome, insults.

"You should consider investing in a mask, Berry, cause the sight of your face _really_ makes me want to stab my eyes out."

"The least you could do is shave that mustache of yours, Ru Paul."

Honestly. They've been throwing those same tired insults at her since freshman year. Would it kill them to come up with some new material?

_Probably. _

And speaking of Cheerios, as she passed a few more tables, she caught a glimpse of Quinn sitting alone at her usual table by the window. Now she knew the blonde wasn't a Cheerio but ever since she overheard Santana telling the tale of how Quinn turned down Sue's Cheerio offer to an astounded Kurt and Mercedes, she couldn't help associate the two together.

After all Quinn was the first girl in the history of Cheerios to actually turn down a personal invitation given by Sue Sylvester herself to join the nationally ranked cheerleading squad (Santana said that the expression on Coach Sylvester's face was priceless).

Figuring the blonde wouldn't mind a little company - after all she had technically promised her last night that they could rehearse during lunch - Rachel altered her route and walked over to her table. "Hello, Quinn." she greeted merrily. The blonde lifted her gaze from the book she had been writing in at the sound of her voice. "Hi, Rachel."

She held her lunch tray a little tighter under Quinn's piercing gaze. To say she could be intimidating at times would be an understatement. "I was just wondering if we could work on our duet now. I mean, of course after we eat."

"Um, yeah, sure." Quinn closed her book - which looked more like a journal now that Rachel got a closer look at it - and slipped it in her bag.

"Great." She set her tray down on the table and slid into the seat opposite Quinn. "So I believe Artie and Mike are occupying the choir room to rehearse now but that's okay, we can just use the auditorium."

"That's fine."

She fanned out her napkin and set it across her lap before digging into her pasta salad. "So, Quinn," she started after a few bites. "how do you think you did on pop quiz in chemistry?" She figured she would ease into small talk and then subtly bring up her hunky boyfriend when the time was right.

The blonde pulled out the bacon in the half a sandwich she had yet to eat and brought it up to her lips with a shrug. "Alright, I guess. It was all multiple choice so it wasn't too hard."

"I agree. But as for my-"

"_Hello_, ladies."

Rachel didn't even have to turn her head to know whose voice that belonged to. _Every_ student at McKinley could easily identify the nasally drawl as that of Jacob Ben Israel's. She turned her head nevertheless and glared over at the school's notorious pervert. "What do you want, Jacob?"

She inwardly groaned when she saw that he had his hand held camera with him. "The blogosphere's a buzzing with rumors that you and Quinn Fabray are now lesbian lovers who plan to move to lesbian colony in Tribeca after graduation. Care to comment?" He all but shoved his camera in Rachel's face, and when she refused to respond, he turned to Quinn expectantly.

"We are _not_ lovers, Jacob." Quinn replied with surprising courtesy, unknown to her that he was zooming in on her chest as she spoke. "We are simply partners for a glee assignment. Now if you don't mind…" The blonde stood up and gathered her things, briefly looking to Rachel to do the same. "Rachel and I have to go rehearse for said assignment."

The two of them then left the cafeteria, but not before Quinn snatched the so-called Jewfro's camera out of his grasp, tossed it to the ground and slammed her heel down on it.

* * *

"Jacob is absolutely disgusting." Rachel stated, still reeling with repulsion. "I can't understand how on earth he's avoided suspension all these years. God only knows how many time I've reported him to Figgins." She walked with Quinn down the fairly deserted hallways as they headed toward the auditorium.

"Now that I have Finn, I really ought to make him beat the little pervert up or something. I mean, I know I usually don't condone violence but he's just so…ugh. Maybe then he would finally leave me alone."

Quinn adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and nodded. "Well at least now he doesn't have a camera to secretly film you with."

"Yes." she turned to the blonde and smiled. "Thank you for that. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner."

They drifted off into silence down the remainder of the corridor before Rachel gained enough nerve to speak up again. "So, Quinn…do you, uh, have a boyfriend?"

"No offense, Rachel, but I'm not particularly comfortable sharing the details of my personal life with you."

"None taken." It wouldn't be the first time someone said that to her. "I just, well, I thought I'd ask because I have a cousin who would be perfectly suited for you." This cousin was actually nonexistent but this was just her way of getting the blonde to admit that she had a boyfriend.

Quinn turned her head, eyes narrowing skeptically. "And why exactly would he be perfect for me?"

"Because he likes Fleetwood Mac." she replied without missing a beat. "And he loves dogs. And can cook a mean bacon mac n' cheese. Not that I've ever had it, cause you know, I'm Jewish…."

"Wait, wouldn't your cousin Jewish too?"

_Uh… _"No. He's actually a cousin-in-law of mine, so yeah, he's not Jewish."

"Okay. As brilliant as that performance was just now," She frowned at the blonde's blatant display of sarcasm. A moment later Quinn abruptly stopped in front of her. "I'm going to have to stop you right there, Rachel. Now I don't know if you're simply a compulsive liar and you just can't help yourself, but I do not appreciate you making up things for the sake of conversation."

She opened her mouth to speak but then Quinn continued with a heavy sigh, "Look, Rachel. You're a nice girl. A little annoying at times, but nevertheless a nice person. Now I don't want you to take this personally but you have to understand that I am not looking to become your best friend or have you as mine. I just want to get our two assignments done with as soon as possible and then go back to just being glee club acquaintances. Alright?"

She nodded her head understandingly, though she couldn't help but ask. "But if you don't mind my asking, why?"

Quinn's hands moved to her hips as she tiredly inquired, "Why _what_?"

"Why do you insist on shutting people out? Surely you can't be happy with not having any friends."

"I don't need friends." Quinn glanced over her shoulder at the clock above them. "Now c'mon. If you want to get in some rehearsal before lunch ends, I suggest we end the chit-chat now and just keep moving. We're nearly at the auditorium."

She literally had to jog down the corridor in order to keep up with the blonde's long strides.

Rachel pursed her lips together before she reached for Quinn's elbow and effectively brought the girl to a halt. "You know the people who say they don't need friends usually are the ones that want actually want them more than anything. I would know - I used to be one of those people."

"Please don't project your own feelings onto me, Rachel." Quinn replied with a tired shake of her head.

Rachel remained in her place even as Quinn continued onward and after a few seconds - in spite of her better judgment - she called after the blonde. "I know about your boyfriend."

Though those were the words she had intended to say, regret, but mostly fear, filled her veins the second the blonde came to a grinding halt. Quinn slowly turned around, eyes flashing.

She figured the best way to keep the lump in her throat from getting any bigger was to keep talking, so she did. "I kind of met him last night." she added meekly, wringing her hands anxiously.

"_What_?"

"Last night." she repeated, backing up a step or two. "I-I forgot my notebook at your house and I really needed it so I doubled back and knocked on your door but then you weren't there and well, he came out of the woods and I panicked and I kind of maced him-"

Quinn cut off her nervous rambling with an incredulous exclamation of: "You _maced_ him?"

_Oh if looks could kill…_

"It was on accident." she hastily explained. She continued to backtrack away from the blonde just in case she needed to bolt - which she had a feeling she was going to need to do very _very_ soon by the look in Quinn's eyes. "I thought he was a killer." She gave a nervous chuckle, hoping the blonde would see the humor in the situation but she had no such luck.

With her heart pounding rapidly against her ribcage, she waited apprehensively for Quinn to say or do something. But no. Instead the blonde just stared at her with an expression that one could be interpreted in several different ways. None of them being positive.

Unable to take the silent treatment Quinn was giving her, Rachel opted to take matters into her own hand. "Look, Quinn, if you want to hit me, go ahead." She shut her eyes tightly and braced herself for impact. "Please just avoid the nose."

She waited for a few moments before tentatively opening her eyes. Her back straightened when Quinn didn't look to have any intention of causing her physical harm.

"Look, Rachel," Quinn shook her head as she exhaled. Her eyes shut momentarily. "I can't do this. I'm sorry but I can't sing with you. I'll talk to Mr. Schuester after practice and inform him that I'm dropping out of the assignment for my own reasons-"

"But Quinn that isn't necessary. We-" She tried to interrupt but the blonde, undeterred, kept speaking.

"As for our chemistry project…we've finished most of it and since we have already divided up the work, we can each work on our part separately. If we need to communicate we'll do it through text." Quinn whipped out a random piece of paper from her bag, grabbed a pen, and scribbled something on the sheet. She handed it to Rachel. "There's my number."

While she took the paper, her features displayed a frown, as she was mildly upset with this sudden turn of events. "Quinn, you can't be serious about this." She was referring more to their glee assignment rather than the chemistry one since she had been genuinely looking forward to performing with Quinn.

"I'm sorry, Rachel, but you brought this on yourself."

She couldn't believe this was all because she had accidentally maced the blonde's boyfriend. "But I apologized to Jacob. And I apologized to you. Like I said before, it was an _accident_. I didn't purposely-"

"It's not just the fact that you maced him, Rachel." Quinn's tone still held her incredulity on that last part. "It's the fact that this past week you have done nothing but try and worm your way into my life." She opened her mouth but Quinn lifted up a finger. "And if you try to deny that wasn't what you were doing, I will slap you." Her mouth quickly closed.

"I'm not stupid, Rachel. I know you are up to something. Whatever game you're playing…just stop now."

"I'm not playing any game, Quinn." she replied earnestly, "I'm just trying to be your friend."

"There's trying to be a friend and then there's what you've been doing this past week. The two are _completely _different things. Whether you already realize that or not, I don't know. But I won't have this thing continuing." Quinn shook her head assertively, her gaze penetrating. "So do me a favor and just leave me alone."

All she could do was sigh as the blonde turned on her heel and walked away from her.

* * *

"Ms. Berry."

…

"Ms. Berry."

Rachel was startled out of her reverie when her Home Economics teacher slapped a ruler against the edge of her desk. Her head shot up to meet the disgruntled woman's lackluster blue eyes. "Sorry, Mrs. Lefler." she apologized sheepishly, sitting up a little straighter in her desk chair. "Please continue with your lesson. I'm all ears."

The elderly woman rolled her eyes and retorted with a sigh, "Class is over, Ms. Berry."

After taking a quick look around the room - which she found to be completely deserted - she hurriedly gathered up her belongings, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. All the while she wondered how on earth she could have possibly missed the sound of the bell ringing or that of the students piling out of the room.

_Shoot_. There was a good chance she wasn't going to make it to her next class on time. She ducked out of the classroom and all but ran down the hallways, lithely dodging those who still lingered around. She just hoped Coach Sylvester wasn't lurking about like she usually was. The last thing she needed was another unorthodox detention from that woman.

Her heavy school bag repeatedly slammed into her thigh as she ran - it would leave a bruise no doubt - while the notebook she had stuffed into her binder slowly started to slip out. She sharply turned the corner leading to another hallway only to collide with someone. She fell back with a loud thud, the loose papers that, in her haste, she shoved into her binder went flying. _Great. Just great. _

"Honestly, Rachel." The other person huffed. She instantly recognized the voice as Quinn's. "Would it kill you to watch where you're going once in a while?"

"Sorry, Quinn." She pushed herself onto her knees and rapidly began picking up her papers. She slowed her movements though when she realized she had grabbed a few that were unfamiliar to her. She instantly frowned at what they were. "Are you," Her gaze lifted to meet Quinn, who was busy gathering up her things. "…thinking about _moving_?"

She only asked because the papers she had in her grasp were actually house listings printed off the internet.

Quinn snatched the papers out of her hand, nearly giving her a paper cut. "That's really none of your business, Rachel."

"It is if _I'm_ the reason you're thinking of moving." she countered, rising from the floor just as the blonde did.

Quinn rolled her eyes as she readjusted her bag on her shoulder. "That's preposterous, Rachel."

"It is not." She shouldered her own bag with a grimace. "I mean, I haven't _exactly_ left you alone like you asked." This past day alone she had tried making amends with the blonde every chance she got - which included approaching Quinn in glee, in between classes, and even in the girl's restroom.

Now, looking back, she realized she may have not taken the best approach.

"Yes, I'm _well_ aware of that." Quinn replied with a slight twinge of irritation. "If I had any sense I would have already had you arrested for harassment."

Okay now she felt like as much of a creep as Jacob Ben Israel. She sighed. "Look it's no secret that I don't have any real friends and while that's mainly due to my," she paused for a second as she wracked her brain for a suitable adjective, "…_intense_ personality and my being rather inept at social interaction, I am trying to be better."

"And while I commend you for trying, that doesn't change the way I feel. I've been at this school long enough to know that you aren't going to let up on this friendship quest of yours anytime soon, despite my requests."

It wasn't her fault she was born with a high amount of perseverance. "I just wish you would tell me what's got you so reluctant to make friends."

"Honestly, Rachel. We're going around in circles here! " Quinn breathed out in frustration, throwing her head back. "That's it, I give up. I'm going to class." Shaking her head, the blonde brushed past her.

Rachel watched her retreat before turning on her heel to head toward her own class. She was late enough as it was. And Quinn was right, they were just going around in circles.

Unfortunately she didn't get more two steps before being slapped in the face with a slushie facial. She gasped, of course, because no matter how many times she had been slushied, she could never prepare herself against the initial freezing sensation.

"BOOM!" Karofsky cackled, high-fiving Azimio Adams as they continued on their way down the hallway.

Just as she lifted her hands to wipe her eyes, she felt another hand wrap around her forearm, preventing her from doing so. Well, at least with her left hand. She swiped at her eyes with her right hand as she was guided away to what she hoped was the girl's restroom.

Less than thirty seconds later, she was led into said room. It was empty, unsurprisingly, since everyone was in class right about now. Though she was very surprised to see Quinn's form in front of her.

The blonde wasted no time in yanking paper towels from the dispenser and running them under the faucet before handing them off to her. "Here." She frowned when Rachel just stared at them. "What?"

"I…nothing." She reached out and took the dampened paper towels. "This is just unexpected." When Quinn's brow remained furrowed in confusion, she elaborated, "You helping me like this. It's unexpected."

"Well what did you expect me to do? Laugh and continue on? Although if that's what you would have preferred I can certainly do that now. It's not like I don't have class…"

"No. No." She shook her head profusely. "What I mean to say is _thank you_. Thank you for helping me."

"Well, you're welcome. Now hold on a second. I'll be right back." She watched as Quinn strode past her and slipped out of the restroom. While the blonde was gone, she took to cleaning herself off as best she could.

Quinn soon returned with a chair, a towel, a bottle of shampoo, and what Rachel recognized to be her own spare clothes - all things she kept in her locker (with the exception of the chair).

"How did you…"

"I'm rather handy with a nail file." Quinn replied, setting the chair at the sink. She then handed Rachel her spare clothes.

She nodded gratefully and took them. She then went into the largest stall and shut the door before she started to change. She emerged a few minutes later with sticky clothes in hand. Quinn nodded her over to the chair. "Sit."

Rachel felt awkward for a moment, but finally went to sit, leaning her head back. Her eyes closed as water was carefully poured over her hair. They both stayed quiet as Quinn wet her hair. But once Quinn finally put the shampoo in, Rachel felt the need to speak up and end the silence.

She cleared her throat before softly asking, "Are you really not going to sing with me for glee?" Tomorrow would be their last chance to fulfill their assignment and while they still had yet to even rehearse together, she still had hope their performance would happen.

"Rachel…" Quinn didn't even need to continue that thought, she already knew where the blonde was headed just by her tone.

It saddened her because, crazy scheme aside, she truly did want to be Quinn's friend. And while the blonde had made it quite clear that she wanted to be left alone, she couldn't ignore the gnawing feeling she had that told her to not give up on this.

After all Rachel Berry was many things, but a quitter was not one of them.

"It's okay." she assured Quinn softly, "Just forget I brought it up." She closed her eyes again and let the blonde finish washing out her hair in silence.

Eventually her hair was good and clean. And even though she would probably receive a detention slip from her math teacher for being so late to class, she finished washing off her face and hands, which still had some sticky residue, languidly. Once she was done, she gathered up her sticky clothing before glancing back at Quinn. "Thank you."

The blonde, drying her hand with a paper towel, nodded. She gave her once last grateful smile before heading for the door. She had just pushed her hand against the surface when Quinn spoke up softly. "I don't want to shut you out, Rachel." She stopped and slowly turned around to face her.

"Believe me, I don't. But I live a complicated life and I just…I just _can't_ be your friend." The blonde walked up to her and placed Rachel's shampoo bottle on top of the pile in her arms. "And I can't stay here if you don't give me my space."

She wished she could tell the Quinn that she understood, but she couldn't, especially when she was just left with more questions than answers.

* * *

Rachel plopped down onto her bed and sank into the comforter. She was done with the night's homework which meant she could finally wind down for the evening. Since her father's were still away, she was left with the house to herself.

She would have enjoyed this perk more if she actually had friends she could share it with or a boyfriend who didn't procrastinate and leave all his studying and homework to do until the last minute. Rolling onto her side with a sigh, she reached for the Bernadette Peters biography perched on the corner of her nightstand. She pushed herself upright and leaned back against her pillows as she set the book down on her lap.

She was only a few pages into where she had last left off when she decided to make a pot of chamomile tea. Hot tea was always a good way to soothe one's vocal cords. And after the long day she'd had, she could definitely use some.

With that in mind, she closed her book and scooted toward the edge of her bed. She had just reached her door when she heard a noise outside her window, one that startled her enough to turn around and investigate.

As she crept toward the window, to her horror, it started to slide up. She instantly froze on the spot, her mind running rampant on what to do. "Stay back!" she yelped fearfully as she scrambled to get the canister of mace out of her dresser drawer. "I have mace!"

"That's for sure." A gruff voice muttered. She spun around and realized it was Quinn's boyfriend who was currently climbing through her window. "W-what are you d-doing here?" she sputtered out, eyes wide. "And how do you even know where I live?"

"Let's just say I followed my nose." He straightened up his posture when his feet landed on her floor, his massive frame once again making her feel like she was the size of a field mouse.

He wore a dark blue t-shirt, his muscles taut under the thin material, with dark wash jeans and black converse. She felt her cheeks flare up as her gaze lingered on his arms a little longer than necessary. She quickly lifted her gaze to meet his. "You shouldn't be here."

After Quinn was nice enough to help her with the aftermath of her slushie facial, the last thing she wanted was the blonde to find out that her boyfriend was in _her_ room. At night. When she had the house to herself.

"I don't intend on staying very long." When he stepped forward, she held up her right hand, promptly stopping his movements. "Okay, but first let me inform you that I have a wonderful boyfriend whom I love and vis versa. And as handsome as you are-"

"Slow your roll, munchkin." He interrupted with a disdainful snort. "I'm not here for anything like that, _trust me_."

Was it weird that she was kind of offended?

"Anyways, why exactly are you - OH GOD!" She fell backward with a shriek when a bird suddenly swooped through her open window. She quickly shielded her face. "Get it away from me!"

"Jesus, Berry. _Relax_. I told you she wouldn't hurt you."

She removed her hands from her face and lifted her gaze enough to see that the bird was just the owl that he had with him the last time they encountered one another. "What, does that thing follow you _everywhere_ you go?"

"You really need to get over your bird phobia." She watched as he walked back over to her window and lowered his arm enough so that the small owl could hop onto the window sill. She pushed herself upright and crossed her arms over her chest, mentally running through all the reasons why an animal in her room was unsanitary. And if that thing started to molt…

"Anyways," she started, her voice returning to full in-control mode. "would you mind telling me why you are here, exactly?"

His dark brows creased over his intense eyes as he tore his attention away from his feathery companion and refocused his gaze onto her. "I'm here because of Quinn."

She gulped rather loudly as he slowly headed closer toward her. Suddenly she felt as though she was the prey to his predator. What had Quinn told him? That she was some psycho who wouldn't leave her alone? Oh God. He was probably here to run her out of town…or _worse_!

"Look, she actually likes this town." By the tone of his voice, she gathered that the feeling wasn't exactly mutual. "She likes being in your little club. It makes her happy."

"Well, that's great." She was kind of at a loss at where he was going with this. Not to mention a surprised at the fact that Quinn actually _liked _Lima. She had to be the only one.

"Yeah, but she's got it in her head that _you're_ making it unsafe for us here."

Her brow immediately furrowed in confusion. "_Unsafe?_ What do you mean?"

"Nothing." The muscles in his forearm stood on end and the veins in his neck pulsed strongly, angrily. "Just leave her alone."

She pursed her lips. "But if you two would just _tell_ me what's going on…maybe I can help-"

"You can't help." He cut off with bitterness, his tone almost regretful. "No one can."

She opened her mouth to respond but once again he interrupted her. "Why do your clothes smell like cherry syrup?"

She blinked at the sudden question, then realized he was referring to her pile of clothes from earlier that lay in a clump on the floor. She had yet to throw them in the washer.

She figured this was just his way of trying to distract her from questioning him about his previous remark.

"I was given a slushie facial by this Neanderthal jock by the name of Karofsky and well, those are the clothes I was wearing when it happened." She was just relieved she hadn't decided to wear her favorite sweater like she had originally planned this morning.

"Hmph." She frowned at the small upturn his lips had made. "Does my being slushied amuse you?"

"No." Her frown shifted into a glare when it was clear that he was biting back a smile. He turned his head and gravitated toward her shelves where her various accolades were perched. "I was just remembering something." He stopped and picked up a small trophy, then looked at with an amused raised brow.

"My first dance competition trophy." she explained, smiling proudly. "I won it when I was only three months old." He looked at her skeptically before setting the plastic gold trophy back where it was. "That Karofsky kid's a douchebag."

"Tell me about it." She sat down on the edge of bed and watched with curiosity as he glanced over her things. "He's been bullying me for as long as I can remember. I've got slushie stained training bras to prove it." She paused. "Wait, how do _you_ know Karofsky? You don't go to McKinley."

"I know. Shortly after Quinn joined your little club, she told me that this punk Karofsky had thrown a slushie from the 7-Eleven in her face. Naturally I tracked the kid down and well… let's just say I made sure he never came within five feet of her again, let alone with a slushie."

Her eyes widened. "Hold on, are _you_ the reason he had his arm in a sling for two weeks last year?" She vaguely remembered Karofsky claiming he had torn a ligament throwing a football around with his dad.

"Damn straight." he muttered, now handling the ceramic bust of Broadway legend Patti LuPone that her dads had gotten her as a birthday present last year. "No one touches my girl and gets away with it."

No wonder Quinn had only ever been slushied once.

"You think you could stop by his house again and you know, tell him to lay off a Rachel Berry?" She flashed him a hopeful smile when he turned back around.

"Nice try, but don't you have a boyfriend who could do that for you?"

"Finn isn't exactly a fighter." She eyed the muscles protruding from beneath his sleeves. "Or intimidating for that matter."

"Yeah…"

Silence.

"Well I should get going before this one starts acting up." he stated, referring to the owl had now perched itself on the top of her desk chair.

She uncrossed her legs and hopped off the bed as he headed toward her window. "Now are you ever going to tell me your name or am I just going to have to make one up? Cause I think I'll go with Paul…"

"As in _Bunyan_?" He playfully glared at her when she nodded her head, chuckling. "What? The name would suit you perfectly. You're big."

"And you're small. Doesn't mean I'll go around calling you Thumbelina."

"Then just tell me your real name."

Shaking his head, he let out a slow reluctant breath. "It's Jacob."

"Huh." Now that he mentioned it, he really did look like a Jacob. "I actually go to school with a Jacob. He's repulsive."

"Yeah, I've heard about him too. He has a weird afro, right?"

"Weird would be an understatement but yes." She nodded. "Yes, he does. Now are you really not going to tell me what's going on?" She had to get that in before Jacob leapt out her window.

He stopped his movements, his body half in - half out, and stared at her. "Wow you really don't know how to mind your own business, do you?"

"But I promise you I won't tell a soul!" she whined.

"I'm sorry, Rachel." He looked at her apologetically. "I just _can't_."

She scurried over to the window and stopped him before he had the chance to leave. "Please believe me! I…I…" Her brain clicked with the perfect solution. She took a step back and held up her right hand before solemnly vowing, "I swear on Barbra Streisand's life that I will never reveal your secret to another living soul."

Now there was something she _never _- under any circumstances - did. That was how serious she was.

But apparently swearing on the life of the almighty Barbra did nothing to convince Jacob. He just stared at her, facial expression unchanging.

"Okay, I know you don't really know me, but the fact that I just swore on _the_ Barbra Streisand's life is a _huge_ deal."

"That doesn't change anything, Rachel." he sighed, swinging his other leg out the window. "I _can't_ tell you."

"I won't give up on this." she called out after him, determinedly placing her hands on her hips. "I'll figure it out myself, just you wait and see."

He was back in front of her within the blink of an eye. She reeled back - thinking he was going to knock out her teeth or something.

His eyes darkened right before her eyes. "If you don't stop poking your nose in where it doesn't belong, we will have to move." he enunciated dangerously, tone laced with warning. "And like I said before, Quinn is happy here. Her happiness is _very_ important to me and I won't let you get in the way of that."

"Well I believe we have reached an impasse," she stated, crossing her arms in front of her in attempt to show that he could not intimidate her. "because while Quinn may claim she's okay with isolating herself, I know that deep down she wants friends. I mean what teenage girl doesn't? And whatever it is you two are hiding is preventing that from happening. Now if you truly cared about her happiness, you would realize letting her have friends would make her even happier.

"I'm not keeping her from making friends, Rachel. It's just that we…" His lips shut into a tight line, clenched together in order to stop himself from blurting out the truth. He shook his head. "You just don't get it."

"Yeah, you're right. I don't. So why don't you help me with that? I already told you, whatever secret you have is safe with me." She placed a hand on his arm - she couldn't reach his shoulder even if she jumped - forcing him to meet her gaze. "You can _trust_ me."

His eyes narrowed. "Why does this matter to you so much?"

Shaking her head, she dropped her hand from his arm with a shrug. "I honestly can't explain it. It's just how I feel."

His shoulders rose as he heaved a deep breath, his muscles taught and rigid with stress. His eyes snapped shut as he ran a hand through his cropped hair, groaning, "She is so going to kill me for this..."

She knew right then and there that she had him. She bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep her triumphant smile from peaking through too much.

With a reluctant sigh, Jacob extended his left arm and gave a soft whistle. She involuntarily flinched when his owl flew over to him on command. She took a step back just as a precaution and avoided eye contact with the thing. She did not want her eyes to be gouged out by the bird's beak…or talons.

She looked on curiously as Jacob gestured to the bird. "Rachel, you already know Quinn."

* * *

**AN: Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Woah. First off let me start by saying I'm sorry for taking so long to update. My schedule's all sorts of crazy busy now that I restarted school and I haven't had a lot of time to focus on the story. But I managed to some how crank out this crazy long chapter! **

**Second, thanks to all those who reviewed, favorited and/or alerted this story, it means a freakin' lot! And third, while the first scene of this chapter will continue to be in Rachel's POV, for the rest of the chapter, the POV will change to Quinn's and Jacob's, in that order. So we'll get a glimpse of what's going on in their heads for a change and also there will be some flashbacks. I'll alternate between the three character's POV from now on as I see fit. **

**Anyways, read. enjoy. review!**

* * *

Rachel stared at Jacob, then at the owl, then back at Jacob. She blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

Surely she couldn't have heard right. There was no way she just heard him imply that the feathery creature perched on his forearm was Quinn_. _As in, _Quinn Fabray_.

"I know I sound crazy but hell, you wanted the truth and here it is." He lifted his arm a little higher while the back of his other hand gently caressed the small owl. He turned his head, his eyes showing the sincerity that only deepened her bewilderment. "Rachel, this _is_ Quinn."

"You do realize what you are saying, right?" She waited for him to drop the bomb that he was just joking around with her, but it never came. "Because you can't honestly expect me to believe _that_," She gestured to the small bird. "is Quinn Fabray."

"I don't expect you to believe anything. But it's the truth and that's what you wanted, right? You wanted to know what we were hiding."

"People do not have the ability to change into animals." She crossed her arms to further emphasize her skepticism. "That's absurd."

"Monsters, magic,…they don't just exist in books and movies. I learned that the hard way." He paused for a moment before shaking his head. "But if you don't believe me, fine." He turned his body toward the window and leaned his arm out the window. The owl flew away from its previous perch as Jacob proceeded to climb out.

She felt the need to speak up once more before he left. "What you're saying is _impossible_."

Jacob glanced back over at her and briefly raised his shoulders. "If that's what you believe, then fine. I'm not going to waste my time arguing with you about it."

"If Quinn really is that owl like you say she is, then have her change back to her normal self. Right now."

"It's not that simple, Rachel." he retorted with a tired sigh. "She can't just turn it on and off like a light switch."

Her hands moved to rest on her hips. "Then explain to me how she manages school every day."

"She's only an owl at night." he explained, retracting his leg from out the window before he turned to face her. "At dawn she reverts back to her human self and stays like that until the sun sets."

She raised one eyebrow, still skeptical. "So you're saying that happens _every_ day?"

He nodded his head earnestly. "Have you ever wondered why she didn't come to the door that night you forgot your notebook? Or why you've never seen me around during the day? Or why I wasn't home when you and Quinn were over at the house working on your projects?"

She lifted her shoulders. "I just assumed…" She meet his gaze and paused. "Wait. You aren't trying to say that you are…Quinn's dog?"

"_Wolf_." he corrected, glaring at her slightly. "And yes. That's precisely what I'm getting at."

"So you're saying that you are a wolf during the day and a human during the night while the contrary can be said for Quinn."

"Just think about it, Rachel." he sighed, evidently sensing the doubt in her words just now. "When did you see me at the store? Night. When did you see me at the house? Night. What time of day is it right now? _Night_. And when do you see Quinn? At school. After school but only-"

"When there was still light out." she finished softly, thinking back to how abruptly Quinn had kicked her out of the house when sunset was nearing its end.

"Exactly." He turned back around and headed toward the window. "Wait!" She lunged after him and spun on her heel so that she blocked his path. "You can't just tell me something like _that_ and just leave!"

He stopped and looked down at her, brow furrowed. "I thought you didn't believe me."

"I don't… I mean…I don't know!" She threw her hands up in the air, flailing them around to better demonstrate her confusion. "I know you don't have any reason to lie to me but at the same time, what you're saying, it's just too…it's impossible! Things like that _can't _happen! They _just _can't."

He crossed his arms over his chest, frowning deeply. "You sound like you're trying very hard to convince yourself of that."

"I don't need to convince myself of anything." she snapped, her arms mirroring the position of his. "I already know that this is all preposterous."

_Well, at least I think I do…_

He seemed unconvinced. "Then why won't you let me leave?"

She opened her mouth to explain but paused as she wracked her brain for an answer. She sighed and let her shoulders relax. "Okay, fine. Let's just say that I do believe you. How on earth is that even possible?"

"It's a long story."

She took a second to roll her eyes at him before responding with, "Does it look like I'm going anywhere?"

"You wanted to know what we were hiding. I just told you." he reminded. "And that's all you're getting out of me. Quinn's going to be pissed enough as it is when she finds out what I told you."

"But you can't _not_ give me the details!" she exclaimed in protest. "I have a million questions that _need_ answering!"

"Sorry, Rachel." He held up his hands in apology as he back tracked away from her. "If you want answers, you'll have to get them from Quinn."

"Are you kidding me?" She threw her head back and groaned. "I'll have better luck getting answers out of my Patti LuPone bust!"

Jacob continued to make his way out of her window, chuckling. "Goodnight, Rachel."

"But Jacob…" She stomped over to her window and shrieked when he suddenly jumped out. With wide eyes, she ducked her head outside to ensure that she didn't have a dead body sprawled out across the grass of her backyard. Quinn would surely murder her if she did.

Thankfully she didn't. Jacob was completely fine.

"What is wrong with you? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" she half shouted, half whispered down at him. Last thing she wanted was to wake up her neighbors. "You could have seriously injured yourself! Killed yourself even!" Her gaze narrowed into a glare when he had the audacity to roll his eyes at her.

"If I had to worry about injuring myself, do you really think I would have _jumped_ out of a second story window?"

She rested her hands against the window sill, eyebrow arched. "So, what? Are you trying to tell me the fact that you spend half of your time as a canine has also gifted you with extraordinary physical capabilities?"

He smiled wryly and nodded. "Something like that."

She scowled in response, huffing slightly. "Are you really going to leave? Because I'll have you know that you would save us both a lot of time if you simply stayed a little while longer and answered a few of my questions." She gaze flickered up to the glowing moon shining high above their heads. "I mean it's not like sunrise is _just _around the corner. You have plenty of time to…" Her words drifted off into thin air when she glanced back down at her backyard and realized that Jacob had disappeared. Yet again.

Shaking her head in disbelief, she mumbled the word, "Jerk" under her breath as she brought down her window until it clicked closed.

No matter. Quinn was bound to be more open to communication once Rachel explained that Jacob had informed her about the true goings-on and that the blonde could confide in her - with confidence - about anything having to do with her little secret. She could just picture the look of relief on Quinn's face. There would be no more secrets, so Quinn wouldn't have to move and then they would finally be the best of friends.

She clapped her hands excitedly at the very idea and skipped over to her bathroom to begin her nightly facial routine.

She couldn't wait for school tomorrow.

* * *

_Honestly what the hell was he thinking? _Plagued by this query ever since this morning when she found out that Jacob had told Rachel Berry - of all people - _their_ secret, Quinn wracked her head for a suitable response as she drove to school only to come up empty handed. She understood why he had gone over to Rachel's in the first place but didn't understand how he came to spill their most kept secret. She used to think she knew Jacob like the back of her hand but because this _surprise_ had completely come out of left field, she wasn't so sure about that anymore.

After all they had promised one another that they would never tell a living soul about their..._situation_. They had _both_ agreed that it would be in their best interests if they just kept their distance from people. That it would be safer. What, did Jacob suddenly feel that wasn't the best course to go anymore? That they should just start telling the world that they were freaks of nature?

_Maybe I should write a letter to the local paper and see if it makes the first page_. If they didn't end up being shipped off to scientific lab for experimentation, they would certainly land a segment on _Oprah_.

She had half the mind to turn around at the next stoplight and just go home so she could strangle that russet wolf of hers. She shook her head as soon as that thought crossed her mind. She loved Jacob far too much to ever do any harm to him, even when he completely infuriated her.

A few minutes later, she turned into the school parking lot and pulled into the first empty parking space she found. She killed the ignition almost instantly and leaned back into her seat as she debated whether or not she should even bother with school today. It wouldn't kill her to miss a day. And it being a Friday meant that it would almost be deemed pointless anyways. But then again of all days, today was the one in which she was in desperate need of a distraction.

Glancing over at the brown journal peeking out from school bag on the seat next to her, she then leaned forward and plucked the book out of her bag before turning to the page last written in. Maybe she had just read wrong. Maybe he hadn't really told Rachel Berry about their secret. She reread Jacob's words carefully, hoping she would realize her mistake, but when that didn't happen, she shoved their journal back in her bag, feeling more ticked off than she had originally felt when she had read his words earlier.

There was no getting Rachel off her back now.

_God_. She pinched the bridge of her nose, the dread of dealing with yet another Rachel confrontation just adding to her stress. Sighing heavily, she reluctantly scooped up her bag and pushed herself out of her car before slamming the door shut behind her - probably with more force than necessary by the looks of the students passing her by - and headed toward McKinley's main entrance.

Stressfully running a hand through her already tousled locks, she made her way down one of the main hallways and headed toward her locker, stopping only once to glare daggers into the eyes of a young freshman who had bumped into her in passing. To say she was lacking her usual composure today would be a major understatement.

After picking up one of her textbooks from her locker, she closed the metal door, made sure it locked, and ventured off in the direction her first class. It took her all but half a second to realize that someone was following her. Having a well enough idea as to who it was, she picked up her pace a little. She had hoped that she wouldn't have to deal with Rachel until at least after Chemistry because if she stopped now, then she just might end up going to jail for homicide.

"Slow down, I can't keep up!"

She rolled her eyes. _That's the whole point, Rachel._

The brunette scurried faster to keep up with her long strides and eventually, after slowing down due to heavy hallway traffic, Quinn accepted the inevitable and allowed Rachel to walk with her. "Good morning, Quinn." Rachel greeted, still slightly breathless. "How-"

"Rachel…" she started, her tone giving warning. "Save the small talk for someone else, please." She made sure to keep her voice low. Last thing she needed was someone overhearing something they shouldn't. "I already know that Jacob told you about our situation. To what extent I don't know. I also don't know what you did or what you said to get him to talk but whatever. What's done is done." She exhaled deeply before turning on her heel, startling Rachel in the process, and stared directly into her big brown eyes to emphasize the severity of her next words. "Just know that if you _ever_ tell _anyone_-"

Rachel was quick to interject. "I won't."

She stared the brunette down, her doubt still holding strong despite Rachel's assurance. After all it was no secret that Rachel wasn't the best person to confide in (for obvious reasons) no matter how trivial or crucial the information was. "But if you do-"

"I won't." Rachel cut in one more, solemnly shaking her head. "I swear my life on it, Quinn. I _will_ take your secret to the grave. Not even Barbra herself could get me to talk."

She snorted at that last comment and fought the urge to roll her eyes again. She turned back around and continued on walking without another word. Rachel was quick to follow - much to her dismay.

"Look, Quinn, Jacob didn't really give me any details about your…_situation_, as you put it, and I just…well, I have a_ ton _of questions. And I was just wondering…"

Knowing well enough as to what the small brunette was getting at, she shook her head at the precise moment she felt Rachel's expectant gaze fall onto her. "Not happening, Rachel. And I'll tell you why. For one, because it's none of your business, and two, because-"

"Oh come on, Quinn." Rachel pleaded, her tone edging on that of exasperation. "Just talk to me, _please_. I mean, I _just _told you I wouldn't tell anyone. You have my word!" She sighed for a moment before continuing, her voice considerably lower than before. "I just…I just want to know how on earth something like that could have happened. Were you two born like that? Was it overexposure to radiation of some kind?"

Radiation, _really_? What did she look like…_Spiderman_? Had she been in a better mood she probably would have laughed at Rachel's absurdity. "It's none of your business, Rachel." she reiterated calmly - or at least _tried_ to.

Deciding to forgo school all together, at least for the day, she sharply turned the corner that came up on her right and proceeded down the hallway leading toward one of the school's exits. "Um, Quinn?" Rachel spoke up, still beside her. She could hear the frown in her voice. "Isn't your first class back that way?"

It scared her that Rachel actually knew that. Well, not _scared_ per se, but more like mildly disturbed…

"I know." she replied with the slight raise of her shoulders. "I just felt like starting my weekend a bit early."

"Are you sure skipping school is wise?"

"It's just one day, Rachel. It's not that big of a deal." It certainly wasn't - especially given how many high school diplomas she had already accumulated over the years.

She pushed against the silver bar on the door when they reached the exit. She turned her body halfway to say a brief goodbye over her shoulder. "Have a good weekend, Rachel." As she rotated back around, pushing the door further outward, Rachel spoke up once more.

"Yesterday you told me that you didn't want to shut me out."

She stopped her movements and slowly turned around to face her, one hand still against the door.

"What happened to that?" Rachel asked softly, her voice meek. "I mean, now that I know the truth about you and Jacob, why can't you let me in? Why can't we be friends?"

She relaxed her grip on the door, allowing it to slowly move back to its place until it clicked closed.

"I still don't trust you." It was as simple as that. She had spent countless years distancing herself from others for a reason. The fact that she didn't look a day older than seventeen when she should be old and grey, maybe even dead, by now was the result of mistakenly putting her faith in someone other than Jacob.

It was a mistake she had vowed never to repeat, but apparently the same could not be said for Jacob. Why else would he had opened his mouth in first place?

"Well what can I do or say to show you that you can trust me?"

_Maybe he knows that you're lonely and would like to at least have one friend aside from him. That's why he told Rachel._

But she wasn't lonely. Sure her life sometimes got lonesome, she would admit to that, but that was expected. After all she did spend half her day with the love of her life in a form where he couldn't even understand or communicate with her as her only company and the other half with no recollection of her night whatsoever.

But that didn't mean she was lonely.

_Liar_.

Not true. But even if that were - which it definitely wasn't - she simply couldn't afford to throw caution to the wind for selfish reasons and open up to the first person to make a real effort in trying to befriend her.

It didn't matter that Rachel was now in on their secret. There was no way in hell she was about to divulge any of the details on the matter. That was one can of worms which would remain shut - no matter how persistent Rachel was.

The less that girl knew the better.

Or at least that's what she tried to convince herself of…

"Quinn?"

She blinked, quickly realizing she had ventured off into her own internal thinking instead of answering Rachel's question. "If you really want to gain my trust, Rachel, then just leave me alone. Leave _us_ alone." She hesitated briefly under Rachel's dejected expression before adding, "At least for right now."

The brunette immediately perked up at those last words, smiling that crazy-wide grin that always reminded Quinn of the Cheshire Cat. Apparently she had given Rachel more hope than she had intended.

"Well it's not the ideal solution… but oh well. I can compromise. If my leaving you alone for the time being will be my ticket to earning your trust then I will gladly give you your space."

She smiled gratefully but at the same time wondered how well this new arrangement was going to work out. _If_ it did, that is.

"So how long do you expect me to leave you alone? Just for the weekend? Half a week? _Less_?"

"I honestly don't know, Rachel." she replied with a raise of her shoulders, regretting having opened her mouth in the first place. She should have just left when she had the chance and kept her mouth shut.

But of course she never seemed able to do that in the presence of one Rachel Berry. Why was it that her resolve started out so unyielding only to become compliant every time she finished a conversation with the girl?

Lucky for her, the warning bell rang out above their heads at precisely the right moment. Taking that as her cue to leave, she took a step back until she met the silver push bar of the door and used it to slip outside while a disgruntled Rachel rambled on about how the bell was two and half minutes fast, according to her watch.

* * *

_I really need to get out of this town_. She slid into the driver's seat with that in mind and pulled her seatbelt across her chest until it clicked in place. Yes, leaving Lima would be the best solution. She and Jacob would start fresh somewhere else, be left alone as they always were, and then things would go back to the way they were. But most importantly she wouldn't have to deal with the headache, more commonly known as Rachel Berry, constantly pestering her.

_Oh come on, she's not that bad…_

She snorted. Yeah right. Rachel was not only overbearing, but hyperactive, self-involved, egotistical, a shrewd, and had a God awful sense of style. Not to mention she was uncommonly short.

_And like you're Little Miss Perfect?_

She threw her head back and groaned, biting back the urge to slam her forehead against the steering wheel. This whole situation truly did _suck_. She liked Lima. It was quaint, quiet. She liked being in glee. She liked the people _in_ glee - well, most of them anyways. She was actually really looking forward to participating in sectionals and hopefully regionals thereafter. Now that definitely wasn't going to happen.

_You are seriously getting worked up over nothing_. For the love of God. Again with that stupid voice. Honestly, what the hell was it anyways? Her subconscious talking?

Either way she was pretty sure that voice had been nonexistent up until Rachel came into the picture. Great, Rachel Berry was literally making her go crazy.

_You can trust Rachel_, the small voice in the back of her head continued. _You don't have to leave Lima. She's not going to tell anyone. She won't betray you. And even is she did, honestly who in their right mind would believe a word of the nonsense Rachel would tell people?_

Brittany, for one.

_She doesn't count_. Shaking her head at her own absurdity, she reached forward and pushed on the radio, turning up the dial until the music was able to drown out her previous thoughts.

A few minutes later she was on the familiar dirt road that led to her house. After pulling the car into the garage, she killed the engine and hopped out, stringing her school bag along with her. She entered the house through the side door in the garage and maneuvered her way toward the living room.

She disposed of her school bag, leaving it next to the sofa, before heading into the kitchen. Since she had no homework to preoccupy herself with and nothing better to do, she began to pick up. The house was fairly organized as it was, having only been a few days since she last cleaned, so that didn't really take too long.

When she finished tidying up the bedroom, she glanced over at the alarm clock by the bed and felt her shoulders deflate when she saw that only fifteen minutes had passed. Sighing heavily, she collapsed on the edge of the bed before falling backward onto the comforter, wishing she had something better to do with her time than just partaking in her usual, mundane activities.

She stared up at the ceiling longingly before she remembered that these restless feelings she held were what set everything in motion all those years ago…

* * *

_1936_

She awoke that morning to a ray of light shining through her window, its brilliance enough to pull her out of her sleep induced reverie. She scowled slightly, not quite ready to wake up just yet, and rolled onto her side, turning away from the disruptive light. Having living in Washington all her life, she learned to covet days filled with sunshine - as they were so infrequent - but as of right now she just wanted the daylight keeping her from a peaceful sleep to go away.

Biting down on her lip, she unconsciously squeezed her pillow when she felt the ache in her chest return. Her body was speaking a language her head didn't quite understand and had been for a while now.

Ever since she came to Forks, which couldn't have been more than a week and a half ago, she was left feeling, for lack of a better word, _off_. Like a part of her was missing. For a brief second she had thought that maybe it was just her being homesick, but she quickly dismissed that as the case because she could not have been happier to leave Seattle.

Forks was her mother's birthplace. The town she was raised in - though she didn't like to mention it when around her fellow society matrons. The same could be said for her grandparents who had lived in the same small town their entire lives.

Unfortunately she did not have the same permanent residence in Forks as they did. She was only in town for the rest of summer where then she would have to return to the city, to her parents, to the life she loathed.

Unlike her grandparents, her mother and father were two people she couldn't stand. Horrible to say, being their daughter and all, but it was how she felt. Her father was a vain, overbearing patriarch with a mean temper and a tendency to boast about his assets, both of the personal and financial variety (this became even more frequent after the stock market crash since they had not been seriously impacted like so many other less fortunate families, much to his delight).

At social gatherings her parents acted like they were a happily married couple with the perfect Christian family but at home they were anything _but_. Her mother, while as boastful as her father in a public setting, had a quieter demeanor at home as she was too afraid of her husband would think of or do to her if she stepped out of line. She catered to his every need, turning the other cheek when it came to his affairs, and when she wasn't doing that, she was drowning her fear in alcohol.

And while her grandparents were conservative Christians as her parents were, the comparisons ended there. They gave her advice when she needed it, comforted her, actually listened to her - in short did everything her parents didn't.

That was one of the main reasons why she wanted to spend her summer in Forks with them. Aside from the few times they visited the city for holidays and other special occasions, she didn't really get to see them as much as would have liked and what with them getting on in their years…she just wanted to spend as much time as could with them before it was too late.

She exhaled deeply, in the back of her mind knowing that she wasn't going to return to sleep anytime soon. So she reluctantly got out of bed and tiptoed across the cold floor toward her pine dresser. She gathered her clothes for the day, picking out a blue dress her grandmother had made for her - her mother would probably die of shame seeing her youngest daughter wearing something homemade, even if it had been her own mother's creation - and proceeded to dress before heading downstairs.

She followed the smell of breakfast being made into the kitchen and greeted her grandmother, who was busy at the stove. "Morning, sunshine." she greeted back, turning and giving her a wrinkled smile. Her grandmother's hair was pulled back into a loose bun, a few tendrils hanging around her face. And while her once blonde hair had faded to grey, her green eyes - the same ones Quinn had inherited- had yet to lose their sparkle.

"Where's grandpa?" she inquired casually, coming up beside her grandma and snatching a piece of bacon off the plate cooling on the counter.

"Out in the garage working on the car. He says something's wrong with the carburetor. Or at least I think it's the carburetor. I never can remember…" her grandmother drifted off with a chuckle before she handed her a plate of pancakes with scrambled eggs and bacon.

She gratefully took the plate and sat down at the small table in the corner of the room. "So what are your plans for today, sweetheart?" her grandmother walked a glass of milk over to her and set it down beside her plate.

She gave a small shrug as she cut into her pancakes. "I was thinking about stopping by the library and returning the books I checked out." Since she didn't have much else to do, she found herself spending a majority of her time reading. She wouldn't dare say it aloud but only a week and half into her three month stay and already she was at a loss on how to keep busy.

After breakfast, she helped out with the dishes and stopped by the garage to properly greet her grandpa before heading out into the heart of town.

Humming softly to herself, she walked along the dirt pathway leading into town languidly, kicking a rock that crossed her path now and again. She had the two library worn copies of _Emma_ and _Jane Eyre _in her left hand.

Despite it being a day filled with plenty of sunshine and with hardly a cloud in the sky, the temperature couldn't have been much over sixty, so when the coastal breeze swept through the air, the hairs on her arms stood on end.

As she walked, her gaze kept darting over to the trees leading into the forest on her right. She tried to ignore the unmistakable pull she felt, as well as the small voice in the back of her head urging her to change her route and instead venture into the shade of the huge fir trees, but as she continued on, she found it becoming increasingly difficult.

Relief washed over her when the dirt pathway turned into pavement, signaling the start of the town. Quite a number of people were out and about today, taking advantage of the good weather before the clouds rolled back in. Her thoughts of the forest disappeared, at least momentarily, as she crossed the street and made it to her destination, but picked up again when she walked out of the library some twenty minutes later.

She debated running back inside and staying there until these strange thoughts passed - if they ever did, that is - but quickly realized she couldn't even bring herself to take even one measly step back from the place calling out to her. Her fingers tapped against the spine of the book in her hands - _The Call of the Wild_, how appropriate - as she listed all the reasons why it would be a foolish, not to mention _dangerous_, thing to take to the forest simply because of an impulse.

But did that stop her?

Apparently not by the way she crossed the street, passed by the general store as well as a few other establishments, and turned the corner to slip into the depths of the trees, undetected.

She hadn't the faintest of idea of what she was doing in here or where she was going, but her feet seemed to know the way, even though the rest of her body didn't.

It wasn't long before she was deep in the midst of the never-ending labyrinth, the familiar break in the trees where she had initially entered no longer in view. Her heart rate picked up at this realization, with her anxiety growing at the notion that she might not find her way out before sunset. Or _ever_ for that matter.

Having regained her good sense, she brought herself to a complete stop before her feet had the chance to lead her any deeper into this green maze. She bit down on her lip indecisively as she glanced at both her left and right. She hadn't been paying much attention to her surroundings before so it was unclear to her if she had just been walking a straight path this entire time or if she had been taking turns here and there.

She sighed heavily, figuring she was just going to have to pick a direction and pray it led her back to town. She had just turned on her heel, intent on going right, when she heard a deep rumbling. She automatically jerked back and whipped her head around, searching for any sign of its source. She tried to remain calm but she knew that rumbling had definitely been that of an animal and all that flashed through her mind at this point were images of all the wild animals she knew inhabited these woods.

Taking another step back, her eyes grew as wide as saucers when the animal came out of the shadows. The wolf - she could only assume it was one - that stood before her was unlike anything she had every seen before. It was easily twice her height, completely dwarfing the average size of other wolves, and had to weigh over three hundred pounds, probably more.

She lifted her gaze away from its body and looked up into its eyes. She heart rate started to pick up again when she realized that creature's eyes were unmistakably _human_. She was momentarily distracted by the various hues of brown in its piercing eyes, and perplexed by the intelligence they held. But she quickly came to her senses when the beast took another step forward.

Remembering that this animal probably intended on making a meal out of her, she chucked the book in her hand as hard as she could at the monstrous thing, hitting it square on the nose, before taking off as fast as she could. She could hear its footsteps trailing after her, which then altered slightly before someone called after her, "Wait!"

In that same second, a hand wrapped around her elbow and effectively spun her around. She yanked her arm out of the grasp it had been in and looked up to glare into the eyes of the person who dare manhandle her. She backed away a step as she took in the most enormous Native American man probably ever to exist. He was taller and more muscular than any man she had seen before, with surprisingly short black hair and piercing, _familiar_ brown eyes.

He was the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on.

He was also unexpectedly naked.

At that last fact, she suddenly jerked her head to the side, cheeks burning crimson as she averted her gaze. "You are aware that you're not wearing any clothing, right?"

"I am." His deep voice chuckled. "And I deeply apologize for it. You kind of caught me off guard."

_You're telling me_. She reluctantly turned her head and met his gaze once more. She sucked in a sharp breath, unused to the particular way he was staring at her. Usually when men looked at her, they left her feeling uncomfortable - sometimes even disgusted. But not this time.

She was drawn to this man, in ways she couldn't even begin to describe.

"That wolf wasn't going to hurt you, you know."

She blinked, having almost forgotten completely about the wild animal from before. "I'm sure it wasn't." She glanced behind the young man's massive shoulder, half expecting the wolf to still be there. "You should have seen the size of it."

She shook her head, smiling under his gaze, before accidentally glancing downward. Another blush washed over her features when she realized he was using _her_ book to cover himself up - or at least _trying_ to. "Where are your clothes?"

Smiling wryly, he replied, "I was kind of in a rush this morning."

She nodded, partially laughing at how absurd he sounded. "Evidently. Do you have a tendency to forget your clothes when you're in a hurry?"

He grinned. "Like you wouldn't believe."

"You're an odd fellow, aren't you?" She half-chuckled, shaking her head in amusement.

A wide grin spread across his face. It was so warm and infectious that she couldn't help but smile back at him. "Odd would be putting it mildly."

She playfully rolled her eyes up at him before shaking her head once more. "So I take it you are from the reservation? La Push?"

His grin wavered slightly as he nodded. "Yeah." His brow furrowed as he met her gaze again. "What are you doing out here by yourself?" His smile had faded completely, his facial expression changing into that of concern, with a hint of disapproval. "It's not safe to be out here without someone who could properly protect you."

A frown crossed over her features, just as her arms folded themselves in front of her chest. She quirked one brow. "And who says I need someone to protect me? I'm perfectly capable of-"

"I didn't mean it like that." he interrupted with a sigh, cutting her off. "I just meant that there are _things_ in this forest that are _very_ dangerous. Things that can easily harm anyone in the town, be it a man or woman."

She uncrossed her arms slowly, her anger diminishing as her curiosity peaked. "What kind of _things_?"

_Snap_.

They both swiftly turned their heads to their right at the sudden sound. The rumbling from earlier returned and for a second she thought it was the wolf again, but that was before she realized the rumbling was coming from the young man in front of her. "Wait here a minute." he told her before heading in the direction of the _snap_.

"Where are you going?" she asked without missing a beat, her body automatically following his - like they were tethered to one another. She made sure to keep her gaze on the back of his head and not anywhere lower. He stopped and turned back around. "To get some clothes…." he replied, his lips slowly turning upright to settle into a cheeky grin. " unless you'd rather I stay like this."

She merely scowled in response and watched as he disappeared before very eyes. She was left standing uncomfortably, the ache in her chest from earlier back and stronger than before. As she waited for his return, in the back of her mind she wondered how he planned on getting clothes in the middle of the woods. Maybe he planned on creating a loincloth out of leaves or something. She smiled to herself at the mere thought.

He reappeared out of the bushes a few seconds later, still bare-chested but now donning a pair of ragged work pants. She looked at him quizzically. "How did you…?"

"Here's your book…" he drifted off unsurely as he handed her book over to her, where she then supplied her name. "Quinn. My name's Quinn."

"Quinn." She shivered involuntarily at the way he practically _purred_ her name, the combination of that and his deep voice making her knees tremble.

"And your name?"

He told her and a few seconds later she was repeating it, testing the way his name sounded on her lips. "Jacob. That's a good name."

She was sure the grin on his face mirrored her own. "Glad you approve." he chuckled. "Cause if you hadn't, I would have changed my name instantly."

"Any true gentleman would have." she informed him with a beaming smile. They both shared a laugh.

"So you never answered my question from before." he reminded once their laughter subsided. "What are you doing out here alone?"

"That's a good question." she replied honestly, as she was still trying to figure it out herself. "On my way into town, I felt a pull and I just couldn't ignore it." She looked up into his eyes, half expecting him to look at her like she was strange, but he didn't. For that she was grateful.

"Do you still feel the pull now?" As his beautiful eyes searched her own, she realized for the first time just how close they were to one another.

"In a way." she said softly, her voice scarcely above a whisper. She maintained eye contact with him even as he reached up and touched her face, his fingers sliding across her cheek before his thumb caught on her bottom lip. Her breathing quickened as he leaned down closer to her height, his nose brushing against hers. Sighing, she shied away at the last minute, knowing well enough what he planned to do. And while she wanted very much to do the same, in the back of her mind she knew things were moving much too fast.

"I'm sorry." he pulled back, realizing what he had been about to do and dropped his hand from her cheek. "I don't know what I was thinking. It won't happen again."

"It's alright." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and backtracked a step. She didn't want him to hear just how uneven her breathing was. "I should probably be heading back home now…" Despite having no desire to leave whatsoever, the logical part of her brain was telling her to leave before she did something improper.

And even though she had made no attempt to leave, Jacob promptly reached out for her hand as soon as she finished speaking. "Don't go." he pleaded with her.

Although she had initially been stunned by the shocking heat of his skin, she found it easy to relax her hand in his because it felt completely natural to do so.

"You're incredibly warm." she commented, her gaze fixated on their interlocked hands with curiosity. She lifted her head. "Why is that?"

She felt herself frown as he hesitated. She watched as he opened his mouth to reply, only to close it quickly thereafter, and instead examine their joined hands. He seemed to be struggling with response so she waited patiently until he found the right words.

When it finally came to him, his posture straightened with resolve. He gave her hand a firm squeeze before stepping backward, guiding her to follow him deeper into the forest.

"Walk with me and I'll tell you."

Her feet moved without hesitation but a part of her brain still held some doubt. After all what did she really know about him, besides the fact that he had a tendency to leave the house without clothes? "I thought you said it isn't safe out here."

"When you're _alone_." he corrected. "Now you have me and I can guarantee that you will never be safer."

A soft smile spread across her face at his certainty. Biting down on her bottom lip, she let go of Jacob's hand. "You better not try to get fresh with me." she warned, her tone teasing, as she strolled past him.

He turned around and snorted, cleared amused by her words. "_I'm_ the one who should be saying that to _you_."

She whipped around and scoffed indignantly, eyebrows raised in disbelief. "_Excuse me_?"

Grinning, he nodded his head. "You are, after all, the one who has been ogling me this entire time."

Her cheeks burned bright red - or so it felt - and placed her hands on her hips in protest. "I have not!"

She held her scowl even as he moved toward her again, the wide smile still ever present on his face. He grasped her hand as soon as it was in reach. "You know, if I didn't think you were so cute, I'd probably press charges." She laughed, in spite of herself, and proceeded to let him lead her away like he had begun to do before, no longer feeling as though she was missing a part of herself.

* * *

When Quinn opened her eyes, she found herself no longer lying on her back, but on her side instead, with her body curled up against one of the pillows. It took her a minute before she felt a wet spot against her cheek. She slowly pushed herself upright and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, realizing she had been silently crying this entire time.

She shut her eyes painfully tight and willed the tears to stop, pinching the bridge of her nose before tiredly running a hand through her hair. She pushed her body forward until her feet touched the ground and gripped the side of the bed. She could feel another tidal wave of tears coming on and it was unbearable.

It was times like this where she wished she could just forget the past - _their_ past. No memories. No pain.

With a heavy sigh, she stood up and smoothed out the skirt of her dress. She walked downstairs, hand sliding across the banister, as she tried to think of something to preoccupy herself until sunset. She thought about making herself lunch, but she really had no appetite.

After a second she decided to go ahead with it anyways just so she kept busy.

She sauntered into the kitchen and turned on the radio that she kept by the sink. She then swept her hair into a loose ponytail to keep her hair out of the way. And after doing a quick inspection of what she had to work with in the refrigerator, she got to work.

A few hours later, she was left with literally enough food to feed McKinley High's entire football team for at least two meals.

Some people shopped to de-stress; she cooked.

While she waited for some of the food to cool, she cleaned up the mess she had made and washed the dishes she had used. Once that was done she put everything into clear containers and stored them in the refrigerator. If she knew Jacob - and she did - it would all probably be gone by tomorrow morning.

Shaking her hair out of the ponytail it had been in, she walked into the living room before picking up her school bag. She took out her journal and a pen. She was just about to seat herself on the couch when she heard a baleful yip. After stilling for a second, she walked out into the hallway and turned her head toward the back door.

Jacob stood on the back porch, on the opposite side of the sliding glass door, on his hind legs with his front paws pushing against the glass. She smiled faintly.

He always could sense when she needed him most.

Or maybe he just smelled the food. Either way she was happy to see him.

She made a quick dash into the kitchen and grabbed a chicken breast out of one of the containers and wrapped it in a napkin. She headed toward the door, shaking her head at the sight of the dirty paw prints now adorning the once clean glass. She pushed the sliding glass door to the side prompting Jacob to step down. He retreated backward, tail wagging fervently, as she stepped outside.

"Hey, you." She leaned down and scratched behind his ear before setting the piece of chicken down before him. While he ate, she ventured toward the trees surrounding their backyard. She disappeared into the foliage and began to make her way to their secret place.

She had first stumbled upon it while on a walk shortly after purchasing the house. It was hidden deep in the woods, far from any hiking trail, so it made for the perfect hideaway. It was just the kind of place she and Jacob needed right before sunset and sunrise.

About halfway into her destination, Jacob rejoined her, still licking his chaps as he trotted along side her.

A few minutes later, they reached a rock formation that had a cave naturally formed within. She walked over to one of the trees surrounding the area and sat down. She set her journal on her lap and turned to a new page as her back relaxed against the bark of the tree. Jacob walked around, sniffing the ground for any unusual smells.

She started writing but stopped when she began recapping her conversation with Rachel. At that point, her feelings from earlier were seeping back in and she wanted nothing more than to tell him off for opening his big mouth, spilling their secret to Rachel. Part of her still couldn't believe that he had done such a stupid thing.

As if sensing her frustration was his doing, Jacob approached her with ears flattened against head. She closed her journal and ran her fingers through his ruff while he licked her wrist. He rumbled with content as her fingers massaged that special spot right behind his ears. She chuckled and dropped her hands after a few seconds. As she returned to her journal, Jacob curled up next to her, his head resting against his paws.

Once the light started to fade, she pushed herself off the ground, knowing that nightfall would soon be upon them. She walked into the cave and set the journal down. Jacob stood near the mouth of the cave, standing guard as per usual. She slipped off her shoes, then shrugged off her cardigan before folding them in a neat pile and setting them on the ground. She removed the bracelet from her wrist and carefully set it on the pile. She was just about to unzip her dress when she remembered her necklace. She unclasped the chain and held the necklace in her hand for a moment. Her thumb brushed over the silver ring attached. She smiled longingly at it before lifting her head in time to watch the last sliver of sunlight retreat back into the earth.

* * *

When Jacob opened his eyes, he was unfazed at waking up alone in a dark cave. He was very much used to it and frankly would be confused if he woke up anywhere else. He pushed himself off the dirt ground and reached for his pile of clothes. He casually threw on each item before scooping up their journal and Quinn's necklace and bracelet. He slipped the two latter items in his pocket for safe keeping.

He walked out into the night and immediately inhaled the fresh pine scent of the trees. He closed his eyes and took a minute to stretch out his muscles before heading for home. As he walked, he kept an eye out for any sight of his girl sweeping through the air.

He bounded for the stairs once he was inside and headed toward the bedroom, all the while wondering what Quinn had to say in their journal. He knew she couldn't have been too happy when she found out he had told Rachel about them and could only imagine how many of her sentences ended with exclamations.

Wanting to shower before he got into it, he deposited their journal on the bed before setting Quinn's necklace and bracelet on the dresser. He then pulled his shirt over his head and strolled into the bathroom.

His stomach rumbled with hunger on his way downstairs, which led him to hope that Quinn had the chance to prepare something for him. If not he would make a trip to that Italian restaurant in town. Their breadsticks were crazy addicting.

He lifted the towel he had draped over one shoulder and rubbed it over his damp hair as he walked into the kitchen. "Hell, yeah." he breathed, mouth already watering at the sight of a freshly made apple pie sitting on the counter island. He almost inhaled it right then and there, but decided against it at the last second. He set their journal down on the counter and then moved around it to open the refrigerator door. He leaned his head down to better inspect its contents. He raised his eyebrows in surprise at all the food awaiting him. He would have been overjoyed at the sight of it all had he not known that Quinn had a tendency to cook up a storm whenever she was upset.

He reached inside and grabbed the stacked containers, pulling them out before closing the refrigerator door with probably more force than necessary. He hated knowing his girl was upset, but especially hated knowing it was _his_ fault.

He shouldn't have said a damn thing to Rachel.

He set the containers on the counter and popped the lids off them. He grabbed a plate from the cupboard and began piling on the chicken, potatoes, and vegetables.

While he had been initially adamant about Rachel - after all she did in fact _mace_ him - she was kind of starting to grow on him. And the only reason he opened his mouth in the first place - aside from getting her to shut up for a second - was because he figured that in telling her the truth, Quinn would stop stressing about finding a new place for them to live and for once have someone she could actually talk to without having to lie or keep secrets from. And he knew, deep down that's what she wanted - though she would probably never admit to it.

As he waited for his food to heat up in the microwave, he flipped open their journal and began reading Quinn's latest entry.

He sighed heavily as he read over her words. He just wanted her to be as happy as she could be, given the circumstances, but apparently had only made things worse. He got where she was coming from though, the hesitation in trusting someone else. Last time they told a secret of theirs to someone, they ended up getting screwed over big time. And while he swore he would never make that mistake again, there was something about Rachel that made him feel like there was a reason she was brought into their lives in the first place. He couldn't really put it into words, it was just like, a strong gut feeling.

And besides, he wouldn't have confided in Rachel if he hadn't been anything less than positive that she would keep their secret.

But then again that's what he thought last time….

_Shit_. He stressfully ran a hand through his hair and slammed his fist against the countertop. He really needed to learn how to shut the fuck up.

Crossly, he opened the microwave when it beeped, grabbed his plate, and slammed the door closed. He picked up some silverware, and a drink, before walking into living room with their journal tucked underneath his arm. He plopped down on the sofa and turned on the television, immediately flipping to ESPN. He focused more on his food than the screen itself, but the commentary of the announcers helped to distract him from his major screw up.

At least for the moment.

Once he had finished eating, he set the empty plate down on the coffee table in front of him and stretched out across the sofa, his head resting against one armrest while his feet were propped up on the other. As he stared vacantly at the football game recap going on before him, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to a different time and place.

* * *

_1936_

Despite having come off his patrol shift only a few hours prior, Jacob woke up fairly early in the morning that day. The sun was finally out again after a few days absence and once he confirmed it was going to stay out - there were no rain clouds in the sky from what he could tell - he hastily threw on some clean clothes, eager to see Quinn again. Once he was dressed, he walked over to his dresser and searched through one of his drawers before successfully finding what he had been looking for.

It was a small hand-woven bracelet he had been working on for the past week and a half - he had seen girls in the tribe complete all sorts of jewelry in only a matter of hours and needless to say, weaving was not one of his strong suits. He intended on giving it to Quinn as soon as he saw her today, the bracelet serving as the Quileute's version of a promise ring. He just hoped she wouldn't be too startled when he explained the meaning behind the bracelet. He knew they had only known each other for about a month or so but he'd known the second they met that she was girl he was meant to be with. The one he _wanted_ to be with.

Carefully pocketing the bracelet, he walked out of his room and headed into the kitchen, his body humming with anticipation. He figured his father wasn't up yet judging by the stillness of the house. After quickly scarfing down some breakfast, he walked outside and paused on the porch, taking a moment to inhale the fresh forest air before continuing on his way.

As he neared the edge of the forest, he pulled the bracelet out of his pocket to ensure the clasp was still secured and all that. He didn't want to give Quinn something that would just end up falling apart on her.

"Jacob!"

He felt the muscles in his back tense up at the sudden voice. Exhaling heavily, he reluctantly stopped and swiveled around. His two best friends, and fellow pack members, Quil Ateara and Levi Uley, were in the process of making their way over to him. His brow immediately furrowed. "Shouldn't _you_ be on patrol?" His voice was aimed at Quil, whose shift wasn't over until eleven, if he remembered correctly.

"Levi asked if he could take over the last three hours of my shift in exchange for me covering the last three hours of his shift later tonight." Quil explained, to which Levi grinned, "I've got me a hot date."

That wasn't surprising. It was no secret that Levi was the tribe's residential playboy. "We were just about to switch off when we heard you." Quil continued. "We thought we'd see what you were up to."

"Just going for a walk." he replied aloofly, the grip on his bracelet tightening. He turned around and started walking again, only to have Levi abruptly grab onto his left arm. "Tell me you're not going where I think you're going, Jake." He whipped his head around and yanked his arm out Levi's grasp. "Lay off, Levi."

"Unbelievable!" Levi exclaimed incredulously, sharing a look with Quil before glancing back at him. "You're _still_ seeing that girl?"

He ignored Levi's comment and continued onward, though to his dismay, they did the same, flanking him on either side.

"You've lost your marbles, Jake." Quil started, shaking his head much like Levi was.

"Hold on a second." Levi caught sight of the bracelet in his hand and before Jacob could stop him, he snatched it. "Now please tell me this isn't what I think it is." He lifted the bracelet up, effectively showing it to Quil.

Quil took one look at it and then whipped his attention back to Jacob. "You can't be serious, Jake. _Marriage_? Are you _crazy_?"

He snatched the bracelet out of Levi's hand and put it back in his pocket, glaring profusely.

"You've known this dame, what? A few weeks?" Levi asked, incredulous. "Wait." He paused and looked at him expectantly. "You didn't like, put a bun in her oven?"

Jacob shoved at Levi's chest, hard, feeling his impatience and agitation growing toward his good friend. "Of course not."

Levi crossed his arms over his bare chest, brow furrowed. "Then what the hell are you doing wanting to tie yourself down to one woman?"

The concept of living in monogamy was one that Levi just couldn't wrap his head around.

"I know this completely uncharted territory for you, Levi, but I actually happen to _love_ her." That was something he knew would never change. "She is everything I want in a girl and more. She is the one who I want to be the mother of my children. The one I want to grow old with." He ended with a sigh, knowing well enough that Levi and Quil didn't truly understand where he was coming from. He felt their confusion on the matter in the pack mind whenever they caught him thinking about Quinn - which happened quite frequently. His intense feelings alone were surprising, but to have them geared toward a girl outside of the tribe was just downright shocking.

He himself didn't quite fully understand the bond he shared with Quinn, but what he did understand was that he needed her in his life. It was hard to be separated from her for long amounts of time, almost maddening, and every step he took away from her was physically painful.

"But you two haven't even known each other that long!" Quil argued, still frowning. "What's the rush anyhow?"

"She leaves for Seattle at the end of summer and I'll be damned if I just let her walk out of my life like that." He couldn't lose her and even if he wanted to, he couldn't go with her. As much as he hated it, he had an obligation to his people. He couldn't just abandon them.

Besides, from what Quinn had told him, she absolutely hated it there in Seattle. She would much rather live in Forks.

"You'll be damned if you don't!" Levi shouted. "You really think the Elders are going to accept that their _precious_ Alpha of the wolf pack and future chief of the _entire_ tribe wants to marry and spawn with some pale face?"

He ground his teeth together, fighting back the urge to phase and rip Levi a new one.

"They won't accept her, Jake." Quil added. "You have to know that."

He was well aware that the tribe wouldn't accept her. That's why he swore Levi and Quil to secrecy when they found out about his relationship with Quinn. He abstained from using his Alpha voice on them since he didn't like taking away their free will, but it was mainly due to the fact that he didn't think it necessary. He knew he had their loyalty - even about something that could potentially cause an uproar in the tribe.

But despite knowing about the tribe's disapproval, he knew he couldn't keep his relationship with a Quinn a secret forever - nor did he want to.

"I'll tell them about us eventually. But if they can't get past her background and the color of her skin, then the tribe will lose their Alpha and future chief."

Levi dropped his arms from across his chest. "You're really going to abandon your tribe, you family, for some _slut_? You can't seriously want your future generations to be half-breeds!"

He snarled viciously at that and lunged for Levi, but Quil, as fast as he was, was able to come between them and kept blows from being dealt. "Take it easy, man. He didn't mean it like that."

"The hell I didn't!" Levi bellowed, shoving Quil aside so that he stood face to face with his Alpha. "Ever since you came across that girl you've completely disregarded your duties as Alpha of this pack!"

"I have not!" he argued, his temper nearly at its peak.

"You meet this girl and what's the first thing you do? You tell her about the damn pack! You're not supposed to tell anyone, let alone a fuckin' _outsider_, about that!"

"If I trust her then we _all_ can trust her."

Levi snorted in response before inquiring, "Have you told Tabitha that you're screwing around with some white girl yet?"

He scowled. "It's none of her damn business." Tabitha Clearwater was the girl the Elders - as well as practically everyone else in the tribe - had been trying to push him together with ever since he became Alpha of the pack. She was strong, beautiful, smart, mainly all the qualities that a man looked for in a woman. Everyone in the tribe wanted them to be together - deeming them the perfect match. Though he did not see things that way and certainly did not feel that way.

And while he knew it was one of his duties as alpha to ensure the passing of the wolf gene for future generations, he could not pretend to feel for Tabitha in ways that he actually didn't. It wouldn't have been fair to her or to himself.

But did that stop everyone from trying to push them together and just leave him be? No. And it certainly didn't stop Tabitha. She was confident in their 'impending' union and constantly assured him that he would learn to love her, that it merely took time. He highly doubted that.

"Tabitha would freak if she found out about this, man. She's head over heels for you." Levi stated, with slight bitterness edged in his voice.

"She's also nutsy cuckoo." Quil made a circular movement around his head, making Jacob chuckle. He wouldn't argue with him on that. Tabitha certainly had her moments.

Levi let out a low growl, muttering under his breath, "She is not."

Quil glanced over at him and snorted, his features showing his disagreement. "We are talking about the same girl, right?"

Glaring, Levi opened his mouth to retaliate only to have Jacob cut in: "Levi shouldn't you get started on Quil's patrol? Unless you don't want to go on that date tonight after all…"

That reminder quickly brought Levi back to his priorities. "Right." He turned to Jacob and sneered, "Have fun with your paleface, _chief_." He briefly clasped Quil on the back before jogging into the trees, disappearing instantly, leaving Quil and Jacob by themselves.

"He just earned himself the worst patrols for the rest of the month." Jacob muttered, shaking his head as he turned on his heel. "I'll see you later, Quil."

* * *

Knowing Levi would be phased on patrol, Jacob opted out of running to Forks in his wolf form. He was in no mood to hear anymore of Levi's thoughts. And while he was eager to see Quinn again, he knew he should probably take his time. It was still fairly early in the day and she might not even be able to sneak away to meet him until after noon. First taking a brief moment to double check his pocket for his bracelet, he then started to jog as he maneuvered his way through the trees. He picked up his pace shortly thereafter just for the heck of it. Even as a human, he was pretty damn fast and he enjoyed the speed.

He was about halfway to Quinn's house when he halted his movements, his nose abruptly picking up on her scent in the breeze. He looked around at his surroundings, brow furrowed, as he wondered what on earth she could be doing out here on her own. Worried plagued him as he continued onward, now following where her scent led to. It was not uncommon for vampires to pass through the territory and if Quinn were at the wrong place at the wrong time…

His wolf grew anxious just thinking about the _what ifs _which made the urge to phase unignorable. He stopped once more and pulled his shirt up over his head, then did away with his shorts. He gathered the clothes up in a bundle and tied them to his leg using the leather band he always kept with him. He phased almost instantly, shaking out his fur, before he broke out into a run. Connected by the pack mind, Levi's thoughts filled his head, but since his Beta didn't openly try to communicate with him, they left each other to their own devices.

He ended up tracking Quinn down by a ravine near the outskirts of the tribe's land. And while he had taken her to this particular spot on multiple occasions, he was surprised that she was able to get to it on her own. It wasn't exactly near her home.

Before he broke through the last few trees leading to the enclosed area, he brought himself to a stop and quickly phased back to his human form. He threw back on his clothes and patted his pocket to ensure Quinn's gift was still there. When he felt that it was, he stepped out of the shadows, and approached her. She sat by the water's edge, toes skimming the surface, while her head was downcast, immersed in another one of her books - this one _A Tale of Two Cities_ from what he could tell by the cover.

It took a few seconds, but eventually her head lifted from the text, presumably sensing that she was no longer alone. She turned her head and jumped slightly at the sudden sight of him standing there, before a wide grin broke out across her face. "Jacob!" She retracted her feet from the water and pushed her book aside as she hastily got to her feet.

He breathed out her name as she walked into his open arms, her head resting against his chest. His arms automatically wrapped around her body, keeping her there. He leaned down and buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent, before lifting his head and placing a tender kiss to her cheek. "I missed you."

He met her gaze and smiled at the way her cheeks flushed. Quinn looked up at him with a warm smile as her hand came up to cup his cheek. "I missed you too."

He touched his nose to hers before straightening up, looking at her expectantly. "So what are you doing here?"

She dropped her hand from his cheek and let it rest against his chest. "Well, after breakfast I told my grandparents I would be at the library for a while, so I decided to come here and wait for you. This is kind of our spot anyhow so I figured you would find me eventually."

He sighed, resting his forehead against hers. "You know I don't like you out here alone."

"You worry far too much, Jacob." she sighed, shaking her head with a soft smile. "Nothing's going to happen to me."

"Glad you're so sure." he murmured, aimlessly twirling a strand of her hair around his finger.

"Don't be like that Jacob." She pecked his cheek before beckoning him to join her under the shade of one of the trees. He reluctantly followed, swiftly taking a seat beside the trunk before Quinn could and pulling her down onto his lap. "I have a gift for you."

"Really?" He smiled at the surprise mixed with excitement laced in her voice and nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He reached into his pocket and fumbled with his grasp on the item, his nerves suddenly kicking in. The bracelet wasn't by any means fancy but he hoped she would like it despite that. He finally pulled it out of his pocket and showed it to her.

"Oh, Jacob!" She took the bracelet from him and admired it before turning her gaze toward him. "Did you make this?"

He nodded bashfully. "Yeah. I know it's nothing special but I just thought-"

"Of course it's special!" she protested, leaning into him and kissing his cheek once more. "It's so beautiful. And knowing you made it especially for me just makes me love it all the more! Thank you!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him quickly, before pulling away to put the bracelet on her wrist.

"First let me tell you what it is." he started, reaching for her hands to stop her movements. As happy as he was that she liked her gift, he wanted her to know exactly what it represented before she accepted it. "It's my tribe's version of a promise ring. My giving you this bracelet symbolizes my commitment to our relationship, my devotion to you, and my promise to make you my wife one day." When he finished, he lifted his head to meet her gaze. He wasn't surprised that she looked shocked - he just hoped it was a good kind of shocked.

"You want to marry _me_?"

He nodded, smiling slightly at her incredulity. "Without a doubt."

He waited for a response but all he was meet with was silence. _Agonizing _silence. And while he hadn't had much experience with women prior to Quinn, he knew silence was _never_ a good thing.

Immediately he tried to think of something that would get him out of this awkward situation, since it was clear that he and Quinn hadn't been as on the same page about their relationship as he thought.

"Well, that's good…" she drifted off coyly, her head downcast as she fiddled with the bracelet. "Because I want to marry you too." She lifted her head, beaming brightly and excitedly.

He looked at her and blinked. "_Really?_"

She nodded earnestly. "I mean, I know we're moving fast. But I can't ignore the strong feelings I have for you. I love you, I love being with you, and frankly I don't feel complete without you."

He adjusted his grip on her waist, his fingers holding tighter as his forehead touched hers. "I don't want you to go back to Seattle. I want you to stay here. With me."

"If we were to become husband and wife, then my parents wouldn't be able to force me to leave."

He nodded in agreement, having already thought about that. And if Quinn truly did want to get married, then he was going to have to come clean about their relationship to the Elders because he was almost certain that no church in town - or in _any_ town for that matter - would marry Quinn to him. He was pretty sure it wasn't even a legal thing to do so anyways. Their only option would to be married under tribal law.

"Your parents will probably blow a gasket when they find out you went off and married someone like me."

"They'll probably disown me." she agreed, nodding her head sadly. "My grandparents too." Sighing, she shook her head. "But I don't care. All I need is you."

"All I need is _you_." he echoed before closing the gap between their lips.

* * *

Jacob jolted awake in that precise moment, startling himself. It took a second before he realized that he had fallen asleep on the couch. Groaning, he pushed himself upright and clenched his eyes shut before putting a hand over his face. He exhaled shakily, that reminiscence being far too lifelike for his liking. His own lips were tingling as if he really just had kissed her.

He shook his head and got up off the sofa, feeling beyond frustrated. He stalked off toward the backyard and slammed the sliding glass door shut behind him. He wasn't sure why his brain had gone back to that particular moment of his past, but he just hoped another incident like that wasn't going to happen again anytime soon. Those memories, as wonderful as they once were, now just served as a reminder of what had once been and what would never be again.

_Always together, Eternally apart. _That was their curse.

* * *

**AN: Please Review! (It'll give me more motivation to update sooner and will let me know I haven't completely lost what readers I had before I took forever to update lol). **


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Cheese and crackers. This is chapter is _long_. Sorry about that. These flashbacks are making things twice as long. But I have a feeling the next chapter will be a little shorter. Hopefully. Anyways, thanks to the one who reviewed - means a lot - and please, read. enjoy. review!**

* * *

Two weeks. An entire two weeks had gone by and - surprisingly - Rachel had kept to her word about leaving her alone. The friendly smiles they exchanged whenever they made eye-contact was about the only interaction that passed between them. It was nice, having things go back to the way they'd been before, but at the same time, she kind of missed Rachel's pestering. And even if most of their conversations ended with her telling the short brunette to leave her alone, it was still _something_. It was human contact. And while she preferred to keep her distance from people - God, did she sound like a hermit or what? - she liked to step out of her internal fortress of solitude every once and a while and at least _try_ to be normal.

Glancing up at the clock above the whiteboard, she sighed softly and leaned back in her seat. Class was moving particularly slow today and it didn't help that her Trigonometry teacher was still trying to explain a problem he had started on twenty-five minutes ago. It was a simple equation with a simple process, but with the way their teacher was overcomplicating everything, it was no wonder half the class was completely lost.

She aimlessly went to doodling in the margins of her notes as she waited for the teacher to move onto the next problem. Despite Rachel keeping her distance for now, she knew it wouldn't be long until the girl began approaching her again. Rachel wasn't going to relent until she had her trust and, subsequently, her friendship.

She was still on the fence about trusting Rachel. She'd been volleying back and forth on the idea for days now. Some days she felt like she should let the girl in and other days she felt certain that trusting her would be major mistake. Though on _those_ days she had a tendency to remind herself that no news reporters or science experimentalists have shown up on her doorstep thus far and the people at school haven't cast her so much as a second glance, so Rachel must have also kept to her word about keeping her mouth shut.

Which led her to believe that Rachel was as trustworthy as she appeared to be. But still, even if she were to tell Rachel that she had gained her trust, there was still the matter of having to supply all the answers to the brunette's questions thereafter. She was smart enough to know that Rachel wouldn't just drop the subject of her being a supernatural oddity along with her boyfriend without getting _all_ the details first.

Details she wasn't sure she could bear talking about. Not when the memories were so painful to revisit. But then again maybe talking to someone would help her to ease the hurt she felt. She leaned her head against her right hand, which was propped up on the armrest of her desk, and massaged her temple, still pondering what her next move should be. If she really wanted to avoid this whole Rachel dilemma all together, she could just pick up where she left off on the house-hunting deal. She had found a few places in Michigan that would be suitable enough for her and Jacob. All she had to do was pick a house, call the number listed, make an offer, and start packing. Easy as one, two, three.

Her thoughts were then interrupted by the sharp ring of the bell. The students around her - the ones that had been watching the clock like hawks - all but jumped out of their seats and bustled out of the room even though the teacher was still talking. She gathered her things languidly and walked out of the classroom, relieved it was nearly the end of yet another school day. After her final class, Health, was glee rehearsal and as always, she was looking forward to it. In the choir room she was able to get out of her head for a little while and just focus on the choreography or song at hand.

She strolled down the hallway and made her way toward her locker to swap out her books. As she fiddled with the combination on her locker, she caught notice of Rachel and Finn walking, hand in hand, down the hallway toward Finn's locker. She looked over and watched with a small, albeit sad, smile as Finn leaned down to press a kiss to Rachel's lips, one arm holding her books at hip's length, and the other gripping her hip lightly.

A small sigh escaped her as she turned back around to face her locker. She longed for _that_.

Not for Finn - and certainly not for Rachel - but for what they had.

The ability to hold hands with one another as they walked. The ability to hold onto one another when one needed comfort. The ability to showcase affection through touch. To just be in the other's presence.

As two _humans_.

Not wanting to get herself too worked up - well more so than she already felt - she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She'd already spent one too many years crying over all the things she had lost. It would be pointless to shed even one more tear over the matter. With a shake of her head, she quickly pushed those thoughts aside, grabbed her Health textbook, and closed her locker before heading to her final class.

Unfortunately for her, Health seemed to be passing by as quickly as her Trig class had been. It being the last period of the day, nearly everyone in the class had already shut down their brains for the day - which basically meant that they would pay no attention to their teacher and instead resort to their own devices for entertainment until class let out. Since the material being covered was nothing new to her, Quinn opted to start on her Trigonometry homework rather than just idly sit and pretend she was being attentive. She sat in the very back, concealed by row after row of students, so she wouldn't have to worry about getting caught.

When the bell finally did ring, long after her homework was completed, she got up and walked out of the classroom, then headed down the hallway. The choir room was only a few doors down from her Health class so she wasn't surprised to see that she was the first one to arrive. She stepped onto the second row and took a seat on one of the chairs in the corner. As she waited, she couldn't help but let her thoughts drift back to her previous musings concerning Rachel's trustability. It was a matter that was sure to drive her insane if she didn't make a decision soon. She just needed to make up her mind and act on it.

She leaned back in her chair and sighed, wishing God could just give her a sign to help her come to a conclusion.

When she heard the sound of approaching footsteps out in the hallway, she jerked out of her reverie and subconsciously straightened up in her seat, figuring it was Mr. Schuester. However it was not Mr. Schuester who walked through the doorway, but Rachel.

"Mr. Schuester, I….Quinn." Rachel said haltingly, stepping gingerly into the choir room like she was a stranger to the space.

"Hey, Rachel." she greeted casually, frowning a little at how Rachel seemed to be walking on eggshells around her. It was as if the girl expected to be berated for simply addressing her. She shifted in her seat as Rachel set her things down on one of the chairs in front. "So…how has your day been?"

Rachel looked at her and blinked, obviously perplexed by her sudden attempt to make small talk. The brunette faltered with her words at first - mind still boggled no doubt - but quickly reverted back to her rapidly excessive way of responding and gave her an painstakingly in depth description on her entire day up until a couple a seconds ago when she walked into the choir room.

Oddly enough Quinn didn't find Rachel's verbose way of speaking nearly as irritating as their fellow glee-clubbers voiced it to be. To her it was more amusing than anything.

Rachel _finally_ exhaled once she finished talking before looking to her and asking delicately, "So, how was your day?" Quinn could hear the apprehension in Rachel's voice, though she understood why. The brunette was probably still unsure if talking to her would violate her initial request that she be left alone.

"It was alright." She got up out of her chair and stepped down the riser to take a seat next to Rachel. "Do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?" She wanted to get out what she had to say before the others started to pile in.

"Yeah, of course." Rachel turned in her seat to completely face her. "What's up?"

"Well, I…" Suddenly she felt as though she had butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. Was that her body's way of telling her she was about to make a mistake? She mentally shook her head of the thought and proceeded, her mind already made up on her decision. "First off I want to thank you for respecting my wishes and giving me my space. I honestly didn't think you'd be able to do it." She gave Rachel an apologetic smile.

"Anyways, I've had a lot of time to think things over and like I said before, I don't want to shut you out. And I know I've talked a great deal about not needing friends or wanting them, but the fact of the matter is that I actually do." Now there's something she never thought she'd be able to admit to herself out loud. "It's just that after all these years I've had to convince myself that I don't because I knew it would be safer for me and for Jacob if we just kept to ourselves. And for the longest time I was fine with keeping things that way but lately…" She lifted her head to meet Rachel's gaze and sighed.

"You're the first person to make a real effort in befriending me, and while your initial motives are still somewhat questionable to me, I appreciate the gesture and well…" She started to struggle with the right words again so she started over. "Tomorrow's Saturday and I just thought maybe… if you want, you can stop by my house and we can hang out."

"So this means you want to be _friends_? Like _actual_ friends? You mean I actually succeeded in gaining your trust?" Rachel had to clarify, her breathing suddenly irregular - like _panic attack _irregular - and eyes wider than Quinn had ever seen them. She kind of looked as though she was two seconds away from jumping out of her skin due to her excitement.

Like a rabid puppy or something.

When Quinn nodded her head in response to all Rachel's questions, the small brunette smiled wider and then, to the blonde's immense surprise, sprung forward out of her seat to wrap her arms around Quinn.

The hug had ended as quickly as it had begun. Quinn had not hugged back at all, instead she'd tensed up and froze - a natural reaction to somebody jumping towards her. She'd been too in shock to even move let alone return the hug.

"You won't regret this, Quinn." Rachel promised, still beaming as she returned to her seat. She then began swiftly rifling through her backpack. "I'll be the best friend you've ever had! AHA!" Quinn watched as the brunette triumphantly pulled out what she quickly recognized to be sheet music. "Here's the one! I've been preparing this for the last week and a half."

Knowing well enough what Rachel had up her sleeve, she shook her head with a sigh. "Rachel, we're not doing a duet to announce our newfound friendship."

Rachel noticeably deflated at her words but quickly perked up again as she did away with the sheet music and pulled out another one. After taking one look at the song title, Quinn stared back over at her, one eyebrow slightly raised quizzically. "Rachel, if you intend on keeping our friendship status for longer than a minute and a half, I suggest you disregard all your previous notions of singing with me," She glanced back at Rachel's sheet music, which was to Barbra Streisand's _You've Got a Friend_. "or _to _me."

Rachel opened her mouth to protest, but reluctantly shut it after seeing the look Quinn cast her. Huffing moodily, she sat back down in her seat and crossed her arms, visibly still pouting. "Keep frowning like that and your face will permanently stay that way." Quinn lightly teased as she stood up to return to her original seat.

As soon as she sat back down, Rachel turned around in her own chair and immediately tried to compromise. "What if I sing a non-Barbra related song? How about _Lean on Me_? Or _Thank You for Being a Friend_?" As Rachel started naming off about nearly every song in the history of music that had to do with friendship, the others finally started piling into the choir room. Rachel didn't pay Sam or Puck any attention - not that they cared since they never paid _her_ any attention either.

"Ooh!" Rachel snapped her fingers enthusiastically. "I've got it! _Wind Beneath My Wings_! It's perfect!" The brunette popped out of her seat like a jack-in-the-box without another word and scurried over to Brad, the pianist, to inform him on the arrangement.

_Dear God_. Quinn groaned, then quickly pushed herself out of her seat and dragged Rachel away from Brad and back to the risers.

"What's wrong with her?" Kurt asked warily, slowing his pace as he neared the front row of seats. Rachel's highly amped up state was impossible to be overlooked. She looked like a cartoon character on speed. "Her pupils are scary big."

"I'm suddenly having flashbacks to that Vitamin D incident from last year." Tina supplied as she and Mike followed suit, taking a seat near Kurt and _far_ from Rachel.

"Quinn and I are officially friends!" Rachel suddenly half shrieked/half squealed before clasping her hand over her mouth and giggling to herself. Finn recoiled slightly at her outburst, surprised by his girlfriend's sudden lack of sanity.

Mercedes and Kurt both shared equally disturbed looks just as Mike said softly to Tina, "I think she's having hysterics, maybe you should slap her."

"If anyone's slapping Berry it'll be me." Santana sauntered toward the risers, along with Brittany, having heard Mike's words. "But seriously what's wrong with her, hobbit looks like she's about to start foaming at the mouth any minute now."

Quinn sighed and quickly explained to the others the reason behind Rachel's hyper-animated state.

Santana scrunched her nose up in disgust shortly thereafter and glanced back at her disdainfully. "You offered her friendship?"

"God, that's even worse than giving her drugs." Kurt murmured, shaking his head.

"Oh, baby girl." Mercedes shook her head sympathetically at Quinn. "Now what'd you go and do that for? You do realize she won't leave you alone now, right?"

"Yeah, I kind of figured as much." Quinn conceded before letting her gaze fall back onto Rachel…who was no longer in her seat.

"Greetings all!" Rachel beamed, now standing in the center of the room, off to the side of the piano. "Now that we're all here," Mr. Schuester had literally walked into the room two seconds prior and had no idea what Rachel was up to now. "I would like to start us off today by singing a song that expresses- OW!"

With her hand firmly grasping the brunette's forearm, Quinn - once again - dragged Rachel off the floor and escorted her back to her seat, where she then sat down next to the shorter girl. If she had carried some rope around, Quinn would have already used it to tie Rachel to her chair, but unfortunately she didn't, so she settled on a prolonged glare that practically dared Rachel to try to move from her seat again.

* * *

The next morning Quinn awoke to the sound of birds chirping. With a soft sigh, she shifted her body and began stretching out her muscles, her eyes reluctantly fluttering open from all the movement. She slowly pushed her upper body forward while she rubbed at her eye with one hand. When she pulled her hand away, she blinked a few times in order for her eyes to adjust to the blinding early morning light coming in from the mouth of the cave. Seeing the pile of her clothes set in the corner, she reached for them and began slipping on each item one by one. They were yesterday's clothes but she didn't plan on wearing them long. She just needed something to wear on her walk back to the house.

She gathered up the rest of her things as soon as she was fully clothed before walking outside and inhaling the fresh, crisp air. She did a quick scan of the area for her wolf, and when he didn't seem to be in sight, she started toward home. She figured he was out roaming the area and since she would feel if he were even remotely close to any danger, she didn't feel any need to worry.

Feeling a layer of grime on her skin - that certainly had been acquired from the night's events, whatever they were - she picked up her pace, her body itching for a warm shower. With her shoes in one hand and journal in the other, she maneuvered through the familiar trees, humming to herself all the while.

As she neared the break in the trees surrounding the house, she stopped her humming upon picking up on an unfamiliar sound. Brow knitted together in confusion, she pressed onward and stepped out of the brush. Her eyebrows automatically lifted in surprise at the sight of Rachel jogging up and down the front steps of her porch - à la Rocky. Had she not just befriended the girl the day prior, Quinn would have sworn she'd stumbled across the wrong house.

Since the brunette had her headphones covering her ears, Rachel did not notice her approach the front porch until she spun around to head back down the stairs. "Quinn!" Rachel immediately pulled the headphones from her ears. "Did you come from the woods just now?" She nodded, prompting Rachel to continue: "Wait, do you sleep there or something?"

"I usually wake up there, yes." She walked past the brunette and after opening the front door, cast Rachel a questioning look. "How long have you been waiting here?"

"Not long." Rachel replied, wrapping her headphones around her Ipod as she followed Quinn inside. "I'm naturally an early riser and I figured I would just wait here until you were ready. I was just doing some warm up exercises to keep the blood flowing."

"Well you can wait in the living room and watch television or something while I jump in the shower. I'll be quick and then we can -"

Rachel frowned. "Wait, wouldn't you want to wait to shower until _after_ we finish our morning run?"

"That would be the logical choice," she conceded, nodding, "but I feel unclean enough as it is and it can't wait. I won't take long. Just make yourself comfortable in the meantime."

She descended down the stairs about twenty-five minutes later, dressed in some jogging clothes with her wet hair pulled back into a ponytail. She expected to find Rachel sitting on the couch watching television or something, but instead found the girl bent over, touching her toes, as she stretched out her legs. "You ready?"

Startled, Rachel jumped and quickly straightened back up. "You bet. I was just doing some pre-running stretches to reduce the risk of stain or serious injury. You should really do the same."

Having already did her stretches upstairs, she nodded and gestured toward the door, Rachel then promptly following behind her. Once they were outside, Rachel asked where Jacob was.

"Somewhere around here." she shrugged, stuffing both hands in her jacket pockets as she walked toward the trees. "Doing wolf stuff I imagine."

"And you're okay with just letting him roam around on his own?"

"Well there's nothing I can really do about it, Rachel." she replied, biting back a scoff. "He's a _wolf_. He'll do what he pleases. C'mon let's get moving." She broke out into a evenly paced jog before it turned into a run.

She had hoped running would delay the whole 'talking' aspect of their newfound friendship - which is why she had suggested they go for a morning run in the first place - but as always Rachel had other plans.

"So I've been thinking and I don't understand how you and Jacob are able to communicate if you two aren't able to be in the same physical form at the same time."

"You know that journal I always carry around with me? You might have seen me writing in it a couple times." She glanced over at Rachel in time to see the other girl nod. "Yeah, well, that's how we communicate. We write to one another. During the day I use it to tell him about my day, about random thoughts I have, or just whatever, and then at night he responds to what I wrote before doing the same with his night and so forth. It might not seem like much but it's our only option for communication."

Rachel nodded understandingly. "Which leads me to ask how on earth you two got this way in the first place." She slowed her pace until she came to a complete stop to catch her breath. "Have you two been like this for very long or was it just a recent occurrence?"

She shook her head at the latter, her hands moving to rest on her hips. "Unless you count seventy-four years ago as being recent, then-"

"Seventy-four _years_?" Rachel repeated loudly, her voice startling the birds from their perch in the trees. "Dear God! You don't look a day over seventeen! Wait, how _old_ are you, really?"

Knowing a lady never revealed her true age - that was something her mother always told her - Quinn opted to keep things vague. "I'm old enough to be your great-grandmother, let's keep it at that."

Rachel stared at her slack-jawed for a few seconds before she finally regained the ability to speak. "So, what? This condition of yours keeps you from _aging_?"

She stared at Rachel incredulously, shaking her head in disbelief at the actual _jealously_ laced in the brunette's voice. _Unbelievable_. As if her condition was something to be jealous about!

"Unfortunately it does." she replied with a slight twinge of irritation. "Now anything else you'd like to know?" She started to walk again.

"Well, yes." Rachel answered, following suit. "Do you have any recollection of your…er…half-life in your animal form? Because when I mentioned my initial meeting of wolf Jacob to human Jacob, he was surprised to know that I had crossed paths with him before."

_Well, I do believe you answered your own question, Rachel_. Not wanting to sound mean, Quinn refrained from saying it aloud and instead went with a different response. "No, we don't have any memory of what we do or see while in our other form. It's like having a blackout every day - or _night_ in my case."

Rachel nodded. "Now I get why you always turned down my invitations to the glee girls sleepovers I hosted."

She smiled wryly as she looked over at Rachel. "If I remember correctly, the other girls - including Kurt - always turned you down as well."

"Well, yes, but at least _you_ had a valid reason for declining." Rachel tried not to sound affected by that fact, but Quinn could clearly hear - and see - the flash of hurt. "Anyways we're getting off topic." She promptly shook her head before she refocused her attention onto her.

"Let's talk about something less depressing than my lack of a social life or friends. Like…." Rachel paused. "How you and Jacob first met? That has to be a happy story, right?"

She smiled and nodded. "Right." It took a minute of Rachel staring at her for Quinn to realize that it was expected of her to tell the story.

Suddenly she felt as inept at social interaction as Rachel was.

Cheeks flushed, she swallowed against her suddenly dry throat and - though still hesitant - started to give Rachel some insight into her past.

It was uncomfortable at first. Opening herself up to someone - someone other than Jacob - was unfamiliar territory. She was so used to shutting people out that letting them in almost felt wrong. Like it was a mistake to share the details of something so private to someone she hardly knew. But at the same time it was nice. Liberating. She liked being able to talk freely, without the worry of someone getting suspicious.

That being said, when she finished telling Rachel about her first meeting with Jacob, she easily delved into another story without even realizing it. And then another. And another. It was probably a lot of information to take in, but Rachel soaked it all up like a sponge. Every time Quinn glanced over at her to ensure she wasn't talking too much or boring the girl, Rachel looked to be absolutely enthralled with her narratives.

* * *

"You should _really_ write a book." Rachel informed her once they returned to the house. They had spent a good couple hours in the woods talking - well she did the talking, Rachel did the listening - and both were starving for lunch. Thankfully she had asked Jacob to stop by the supermarket last night to get stock up on some vegan-friendly food just in case.

Since she still had _so much _more to tell Rachel, she couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, I don't know about that."

Once in the kitchen, she opened up the refrigerator and began picking out ingredients for lunch while Rachel took a seat at the kitchen counter. "Do you need any help?" Rachel inquired as she unzipping her hoodie and shrugged it off.

"No, I got it." she assured, then handed the brunette a bottle of water. "You just relax."

Rachel thanked her before twisting the cap off her bottle and taking a quick sip. "Okay. So back to the story." She set her bottle back down after recapping it and looked to Quinn expectantly, elbows propped up on the counter.

As Quinn dried her hands off with a hand towel, her brow furrowed with uncertainty. "Where was I again?" _Oh right_. Almost instantly it came back to her but she let Rachel fill her anyways. "It's been about a month since you met Jacob and you're madly in love with one another." Rachel prompted with a smile.

"Right." She blushed a little as she tucked a loose strand of behind her ear. "So, yes, Jacob and I meet up one day and he surprises me with a gift. It was - _is_ - a very special gift that served as his tribe's version of a promise ring." The sleeves of her sweater already pushed up to her elbows, Quinn tapped the handmade bracelet adorning her left wrist.

"You two got very serious, very fast." Rachel commented. "But then again that's how true love usually works. Anyways, please continue."

"So Jacob had every intention of marrying me one day and I him, and since neither one of us could bear the idea of being separated at the end of summer, which is when I would have to return home to Seattle, we decided to get married as soon as possible." Rachel raised her eyebrows in surprise. "That way my parents wouldn't be able to force me to leave Forks. Granted my marrying Jacob meant disownment by my family, I didn't really care. I had never felt like I belonged in their world and it wasn't until I met Jacob that I understood why."

"Anyways," She placed two veggie patties in a pan and turned up the heat on the stove. "We knew finding a church that would marry us would be next to impossible so we turned to Jacob's tribe. They knew nothing of our relationship until Jacob came clean to the Council, telling them of his intention to marry me."

" Not to our surprise, they refused to marry us under tribal law. The tribe's elders already had a girl in mind for Jacob to marry. A native girl named Tabitha. She was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen and was someone the entire tribe loved and respected." The first girl she ever remembered being truly envious of. "She was also deeply in love with Jacob despite the fact that he didn't reciprocate her feelings."

"I can relate to that." Rachel sighed with a nod.

Quinn nodded, knowing well enough about Rachel's obsession with Finn long before the New Directions came about from Kurt and Mercedes.

"So once the Council told him of their refusal, Jacob pretty much lost it-"

Rachel's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean he turned into a werewolf _right then and there_?"

She quickly shook her head. "No, he was just infuriated."

"So what happened after that?" Rachel asked eagerly, shifting her body and leaning forward in her seat.

"Well, later that evening he took me to the beach and talked for a long while. We eventually decided to just leave Forks and La Push all together and start fresh somewhere else. Jacob was just about to take me back home when we were approached by one of the Council members and Jacob's father, Billy. Billy told us that Jacob and I had a special bond, one that the others didn't understand. He said that we were-"

"Soulmates!" Rachel finished enthusiastically. She smiled sheepishly when Quinn raised a brow. "Sorry."

"Yes. Soulmates. But he called us imprints." Rachel frowned at the unfamiliar term. "It's basically the same thing. Werewolves experience a bonding incident called imprinting, which is this involuntarily process that enables a wolf to find his soul mate. It happens when a wolf first lays eyes on his soul mate and thereafter becomes unconditionally tied to that person and vise versa. It was said to be an incredibly rare thing, almost a complete myth, because it had never been known to happen to any wolf before."

"So how did Jacob's dad know for sure that Jacob had imprinted?" Rachel asked.

She flipped the two cooked veggie patties onto a plate and shrugged, preparing the burgers. "I don't think he knew it was a definite thing, but he did say the way Jacob and I looked at each other was unlike anything he had ever seen before. According to him it was the only logical explanation why Jacob and I would be together at all." She pursed her lips together, not exactly agreeing with the sentiment. "But anyways, after that little revelation, Billy gave us even more of a surprise when he told us that he would indeed marry us….as long as it was kept a secret."

Rachel frowned deeply. "But if you two were imprints why couldn't you just tell the rest of the Council that's why-"

"Because we had no concrete proof that we were indeed imprints." she sighed. "It was just Billy's speculation and to be honest, Jacob and I were a little skeptical over the whole imprinting notion anyhow. That next day, at dusk, we came back to the beach and Billy married us on top of one of the cliffs overlooking the ocean. And after we exchanged vows…"

Rachel sprayed the water she had just taken a sip of, eyes wide. "Wait, so you actually _did_ get _married_? _You're really a wife?"_

Quinn handed her a few paper towels and nodded, wrinkling her nose slightly at being abruptly sprayed. "Yeah." Reaching inside her dress, she pulled out her necklace and showed Rachel the silver wedding band hanging at the end of the chain. "Seventy-five years of marriage come next July."

"That's crazy." Rachel breathed, shaking her head. "But of course a good kind of crazy." she quickly amended.

"Of course." She released the ring from her grasp and let it dangle on the chain. There was no need to tuck it back into her dress and hide it.

"So what happened after the ceremony?" Rachel rested her chin against the palm of her hand while Quinn put their burgers onto two plates with salad already on it.

"Um…I think you can do the math…" She lifted her gaze and half-laughed at the blank stare she was receiving from the opposite side of the counter. Feeling her cheeks start to heat up, she shook her head pleadingly. "Please don't make me spell it out for you, Rachel."

It took a long second before the blank stare disappeared. "Oh, your honeymoon, right. Duh." Rachel laughed sheepishly and took the plate of food Quinn offered to her. "Thanks."

They took their plates and sat down together at the table. Quinn had just started to dig into her salad when Rachel asked, "So how was it?"

"How was what?" She stabbed a few pieces of lettuce onto her fork and brought it up to her mouth.

"Sex with Jacob."

She stopped mid-chew, fork still in her hand. "Excuse me?"

"I added the _Sex and the City _to my fathers' Netflix queue in hopes of learning a thing or two about friendship amongst women." Rachel explained. "And what Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda have taught me so far is that women often share the tales of their sexual encounters with one another. Which is why I'm asking how intercourse with Jacob. Good, I hope. Was it your first time?"

"It was very good." she mumbled. Very good would be a complete understatement but she was too mortified to describe that night any other way. "And yes, it was my first time. Both of ours actually."

"How sweet." Rachel smiled. "Did you do it more than once? Did you achieve orgasm every time?"

"Woah! Okay! Getting really inappropriate here, Rachel."

"Sorry. I have no sex life whatsoever and being a virgin, I'm naturally curious…"

"You mean you and Finn never…" she drifted off embarrassedly.

Rachel shook her head, blushing slightly. "No. We were only together for a brief amount of time before Finn broke up with me. I almost had sex when I was with Jesse but I couldn't go through with it. I just wasn't ready."

"Well good for you." She took a sip of water, nodding. "Never let a guy pressure you into doing something you're not ready for."

"Precisely. Now back to your story. If I'm being too brash, I apologize, but I can't help it. Your past is more entertaining than _Gossip Girl_ - and that is show is highly entertaining. It's addicting. Like crack. Or so I imagine because I've never taken drugs, but anyways you get the idea."

Rolling her eyes, Quinn sighed and reluctantly continued talking in between bites.

* * *

**1936**

Sleep. That was all she wanted. A peaceful night's rest with no worries, or nausea, to keep her up. Wide awake and frustrated, she rolled onto her side and buried her face deeper into her pillow, wishing her brain to shut down for a little while. As she tried to get herself to relax, a light breeze wafted into her room, making her shiver. She cracked open one eye and debated whether or not she should get up to close the window. Finding the sounds of the night too soothing to shut out, she wrapped her blankets closer to her body instead. Her eyes had just started to droop with fatigue when she heard it. A low howl of a wolf.

But not just any wolf - _her _wolf.

She immediately perked right up and tossed aside her covers before she got out of bed. She quickly pulled on some clothes and then tiptoed downstairs, outside. Her grandparents, being the deep sleepers that they were, would never know she'd even left. She went out into the night and wrapped her cardigan around her, folding her arms across her chest to keep warm. She looked at dark trees of the forest, and didn't hesitate at all. She walked straight to them.

She walked to where she wanted to be.

The forest was several degrees cooler than the backyard, the trees creating a canopy that held the dark tight, but she didn't mind. She wouldn't be cold for long. She walked a few paces just to keep warm before she stopped and waited. She didn't attempt to seek him out like she used to. It was unnecessary. He always found her.

"Quinn."

She spun around and smiled at the sound of his voice, her body then visibly relaxing at the sight of him. He reached for her and pulled her into his warm and inviting arms. She lifted her gaze and sighed, enjoying the calm that came with his presence.

His mouth parted as he touched her face, the fingers of one hand sliding across her cheek until his thumb caught on her lower lip. He breathed in her scent for a moment before closing the gap between their lips.

After a few seconds, she pulled away with a blush. "Hello to you, too."

He pecked her lips once more - for good measure - and meet her gaze, while his hands moved to her hips. "How are you?"

"A little tired." she admitted, her own hands resting against his bare chest. "And I've got a bit of an upset stomach but other than that I'm good." She pursed her lips slightly, unsure if she should tell him the reason behind her symptoms now or later.

Jacob frowned. "Maybe I should get you back home so you could rest then."

"I wasn't getting any sleep anyways," she replied, shaking her head. "besides I'm fully awake now. So did you just get off patrol?"

He led her under one of the trees and sighed. "Yeah, it was pretty boring." He took a seat on the ground and gently set her down on his lap to ensure she kept warm.

She curled into his body and lay there in silence while his fingers slowly combed through her hair in a soothing manner. She smiled against his chest and lifted her head to nuzzle the crook of his neck. A low, pleasant rumble escaped him before he pressed his lips to her temple. "Quinn."

"Hmm?"

"I've been thinking…" She straightened up and turned her body around so that he knew he had her full attention. "and I think we should leave town. I'm sick and tired of having to keep my relationship with you a secret." He glanced down at the silver wedding band dangling from her necklace and frowned. "It shouldn't be like this."

"You're right. It shouldn't." She moved in front of him and lifted his chin. "But unfortunately it's the way things are right now. Besides we gave your father our word that we would stay in town."

"Only if he's able to gather enough information about imprinting to prove to the other Council members that we are indeed imprints." He shook his head with a disdainful snort. "This imprinting business is a bunch of nonsense. You and I are in love, that's all this is. _Real_ love. There is no magical force tying us together. My dad is just trying to classify our bond as imprinting in hope of getting the rest of the Council to accept us because he knows that's what I want. It's same reason he agreed to marry us. He knew it was what I wanted and he figured that giving me what I wanted would keep me from running off with you and abandoning the tribe. He doesn't want to lose his son."

"But I don't see what's wrong with that." she frowned. "If my dad proves we're imprints then the Council will have to accept us and if that happens-"

"But the problem is that the tribe will never accept us." She could see the anger flash in his eyes. "Even if we're married, even if we're proven imprints, they are never going to accept us."

"You mean _me_." she said quietly, her gaze downcast.

"No, I mean _us_." he corrected, his grip on her tightening. "There is no me without you."

She smiled weakly when he kissed her forehead. She looked up at him hesitantly. "So you really don't believe we're imprints?"

"No, not really. But I mean," He exhaled heavily, leaning his head back against the bark. "the legends about Spirit Warriors turned out to be true, so I guess there's a chance this imprinting aspect could end up being true as well." He turned his head toward her after a long lapse of silence. "Are you okay?" His brow quickly furrowed once he caught a glimpse of the look in her eyes. "Something's wrong."

She fiddled with the hem of her cardigan anxiously, her gaze averted. She wanted to tell him. She knew she had to tell him, but she couldn't find the voice to do so.

"Talk to me honey." he pleaded, gently brushing the loose strands of hair out of her face. "Whatever it is, you can talk to me. You know that."

"I know." She bit down on her lip, feeling her eyes well up with tears. "I'm just worried how you will react."

Placing a tender kiss to her shoulder, he took one of her hands in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You have nothing to worry about, alright? Whatever it is, know I'm not going anywhere."

She finally met his gaze and after exhaling shakily, murmured, "I think I'm pregnant."

Silence.

"Woah!" She gave a slight shriek when Jacob suddenly bounded to his feet, with her still in his arms. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck for balance. "Jacob!"

"You're _sure_?" He stared at her intently, his grasp on her firm. His body started to tremble.

"I mean it's just a hunch." she fumbled, heart racing. "I haven't gone to a doctor yet, so I could be wrong." She tried to identify the expression on his face as either positive or negative, but was unable to. At the moment, surprise could very well pass for fear and horror could easily be mistaken for excitement. She really had no idea which one she was dealing with.

"You really think we…" He quickly nodded his head toward her abdomen.

"Well we haven't exactly been celibate since the wedding night." she replied, blushing furiously at the memory of their rather intimate moments. "It's a definite possibility."

Jacob gently set her back down on her feet once he realized he was trembling. He took a step away from her and began to pace, then started incoherently talking to himself. It took her a few seconds to catch onto what he was saying.

"It makes sense." he murmured, more to himself than anything, before glancing back at her.

She raised her eyebrows, surprised. "It does?"

He nodded, a smile slowly spreading across his face. "Yeah. I mean, lately you've just looked…_different_ to me. Not in a bad way." he quickly assured when she frowned. "Just…I've never been able to figure out what it was and then your scent, it slightly changed. Though with everything going on, I haven't paying too close attention to think anything of it …but now," His gaze dropped to her stomach, nodding more firmly. "now I most definitely can sense something _there_."

"But how?" Her hand unconsciously moved to her abdomen. "I mean, how can you _sense_ it? It's so early…"

"Heightened senses come with the territory." he replied, stepping forward, his gaze still on her abdomen. "Though I never expected to this extent." He reached out and moved his hand to cover hers. He kept it there for a moment before nodding his confirmation, "Yes." His voice was definite. "I can't explain how I know but I'm absolutely certain we're having a baby." He lifted his gaze to meet her shocked expression and smiled proudly.

She met his smile with one of her own stretching from ear to ear. She could see the truth in his eyes. "Jacob," she whispered in awe, her hand moving from under his to rest on top of it. "We're having a baby!"

"We're having a baby!" he echoed brightly, swooping her up and spinning her around. He set her back down and nearly kissed her senseless.

She pried her lips from his, suddenly breathless. She looked up at him expectantly. "So you're happy about this?"

"Of course I'm happy!" He laughed. "How could I not? This is what I want. Granted I wasn't expecting to start our family so soon but I'm ecstatic. My wolf is absolutely beside himself." He pulled her back into his arms, beaming.

"A baby is a huge responsibility, you know." she reminded.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Honey, I'm the leader of a wolf pack and I protect my tribe on a daily basis. Responsibility is nothing new to me and certainly nothing I can't handle."

"Just making sure you know what you're getting into." Her smile faltered slightly and he was quick to notice.

"Hey," He gently cupped her chin, his gaze serious. "I wouldn't have married you if I wasn't completely committed to you and this relationship. Now matter what obstacles come our way, whether it's disapproving families or dirty diapers." She cracked a smile at that last part. "I will _always_ be by your side. That is something you will never have to doubt."

Her smile swelled as did her happiness. "I love you, Jacob."

"Not nearly as much as I love you." he replied, his hands moving to cup her face.

"Now that's debatable." she chuckled, pushing herself up onto her toes to close the gap between them again. He growled into their kiss when things started to escalate and gruffly picked her up by the back of her thighs, genuinely surprising her. "Where are you taking me?" she whispered breathlessly in between kisses, Jacob walking with her still in his arms.

"Crystal Cove." he rumbled, his kisses traveling down the side of her neck.

"Trying to make another baby already, are we?" she teased, gasping slightly when his teeth came into contact with her skin.

On the outskirts of First Beach was a secluded spot called Crystal Cove that served as the place where they had spent their wedding night a couple weeks ago.

"Maybe I am. Or maybe I just…." His words lay forgotten as he came to a grinding halt, an inhuman growl escaping him.

"Jacob? What's wrong?" She turned her head and watched as his eyes turned hard and angry, darker than she had ever seen before. "Jacob?"

No sooner had she said his name than a cacophony of what sounded like angry animals erupted from somewhere off in the distance. She could only assume it was Quil and Levi. Jacob spat out a string of profanities as he turned on his heel and swiftly headed back to her house.

"Jacob, please tell me what's going on."

Teeth gritted, he ground out one word, "Vampire."

He broke through the trees outside her grandparents backyard shortly thereafter and set her down onto her feet once again. Firmly grasping her hand, he hurriedly led her to the back door. "I want you to go inside and stay there." he directed in a hushed tone. "Don't leave the house for any reason at all. I'll come back as soon as I can to make sure you're alright."

She nodded. "Just go do what you have to. We'll be okay." she reassured him quickly before he captured her lips in another kiss. Resting his forehead against hers, he waited as long as he could before the earnest howls of the pack started up again.

He nodded and, with one last kiss, turned back around and jogged back into the trees, immediately disappearing from sight.

She slowly went back inside the house, into her bedroom. She paused for a moment before walking to the window, ignoring her bed altogether. She stared out into the darkness, one hand resting over her abdomen. She bit down on her bottom lip anxiously when she realized the howling had stopped. The air was silent. _Too_ silent.

Shaking her head, she gently closed the window. The pack dealt with vampires all the time. They were more than capable of doing their job. They would be alright. _He_ would be alright.

Sitting a little shakily on the edge of her bed, her hand unconsciously moved back to its previous position. She wanted to believe everything would be alright - that she was just worrying over nothing - but she couldn't ignore the gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach telling her otherwise.

* * *

Quinn pushed away her plate of half-eaten food, her appetite suddenly gone. She exhaled shakily, her throat starting to tighten. "Um, Rachel." She quickly turned her head away and dabbed at the corners of her eyes, moisture pooling there. She sniffled slightly. "I think I've done enough talking for today if you don't mind."

She met Rachel's gaze and did her best to compose herself under the brunette's sympathetic expression. "Quinn…"

She held up her hand, knowing well enough what Rachel planned to ask next. And while she intended on continuing with her story, at the moment she just couldn't go through with it. Despite it happening so long ago, losing her only child was still a fresh wound and the pain that came with the territory was still too upsetting for her to fully get past. This was the first time she ever talked about it out loud and she was partially surprised that she was able to bring up the pregnancy in the first place.

She slowly pushed herself out of her chair and gathered up her plate. She sharply shoved the remaining in the trashcan. "I know you still have loads more questions, Rachel and I know I said-"

"No need to explain. I understand. Well, I mean I don't understand as in 'I've gone what you're gone through and I can relate', I just mean that I understand how incredibly difficult it must be for you to rehash the past like this. Especially about a subject as sensitive as-"

"Don't, Rachel." she interrupted, her voice sharper than intended. "Please."

"Of course." Rachel stood up from the table and walked her empty plate over to the sink. Thankfully she changed the subject. "Thank you for lunch, Quinn, it was delicious. You really are quite the chef. I may come around for lunch more often."

She managed a weak smile as she met the brunette's gaze. "You're welcome, Rachel."

"So do you uh…want to hang out again tomorrow?" Rachel picked up her car keys off the hallway table and glanced back at her. "We don't have to talk about your past or anything. We can just…._hang_."

Relieved that Rachel understood she needed to be alone right now, Quinn smiled and nodded.

"I'd like that. Though it will have to be after ten, because I go to church in the morning."

Rachel gave an understanding nod. "That's fine. Just text me. I can come back here or you can come over to my house, or we can meet up somewhere. Which ever you prefer."

"I'll let you know." She opened up the front door and proceeded to walk Rachel to her car. She gaze flickered to the trees as Rachel unlocked the car door, sensing that her wolf was nearby. "Rachel."

The brunette was halfway inside her the driver's seat when she stopped. "Yeah?"

She turned her head and meet Rachel's questioning gaze. "You mind coming back around later? Of course if you're not busy."

"I'm not." Rachel assured. "Finn's spending the entire day with Kurt's dad, Burt, watching the football games on television so I have no other pressing engagements - though not that I ever really do." She shook her head, getting sidetracked. "So what do you want me to come back over for?"

"Just to keep Jacob company for awhile." she replied honestly. "You know hang out with him." She winced slightly at how awkward she had sounded just then. It was a rather odd request.

Rachel raised her eyebrows, surprised. "Oh. _Really_? I mean, would he want me around?"

She smiled. "I'm not the only one who could do with a little more friendship in their life."

* * *

**1936**

"I don't understand why the hell we're just sitting here debating about this when the answer is clear as daylight." Levi pushed his body away from the wall he had been leaning on and looked to the others earnestly. "Those leeches _need_ to be destroyed."

"They outnumber us, Levi." Quil reminded for what felt like the hundredth time, sighing tiredly. "And while I'm confident of the damage we're capable of doing to those vampires, we all know it will come at price since we don't have the numbers on our side."

"We don't need numbers!" Levi exclaimed, slamming his hands down on the back of the Ataera's couch with frustration. "We're stronger than they are! We will have them in pieces before they even know what hit them."

"We can't underestimate them, Levi. And especially not when they have a _mind reader _among them." Levi just scowled.

Quil rolled his eyes, shaking his head. He sighed. "Look, I don't want those vampires to live or hunt here anymore than any of you do," He looked to the group assembled in his family's living room, the pack and the Council of elders, "But they haven't taken a human life as far as we know. I think we should try and compromise."

Unsurprisingly almost the entire room flurried with disagreement.

Once the room simmered down enough, Jacob's father spoke up. "Vampires are our enemy, Quil. They cannot be trusted." he firmly stated.

"And certainly should not be compromised with." Quil's father agreed.

Jacob's father nodded. "Negotiating with them would be foolish and unwise."

"And sacrificing the entire pack would be even more foolish." Quil countered. "Then who would you have to protect the tribe? No one. Because the gene would die with us and you all would be screwed whenever vampires rolled into town."

Levi looked over at Jacob, who continued to remain silent by the window. "Hey, Black. You intend on putting in your two cents anytime soon?"

Jacob waited a few moments before responding with a nod. He straightened up his posture, his hulking frame seemingly taking up half the room. "We will suggest a treaty."

He ignored the protests of the Elders as he always did. He ran his pack as he sought fit and did not like the interference of the Elders, who constantly tried to tell him what was best. Being Alpha _he_ was the one who knew what was best for his pack and _he_ was the one who made decisions accordingly. Each and every decision he had ever made as Alpha was always carefully thought through before he reached a final conclusion. He did not need nor want the Elders input.

Which was why he still wondering how the hell he had allowed Quil to talk him into convening with the Council in the first place.

"We will suggest a treaty." he started again. "One where boundaries can be set to prevent them from coming onto our land. To ensure they keep to their word about their animal diet, we will make it a provision of the treaty." He continued talking despite the many attempts made by the others to interrupt. "We'll also make it a requirement that they cannot bite a human under any circumstances. The last thing we need is more Cold Ones running around."

He exhaled deeply, loathing the idea of knowingly allowing vampires to exist. He didn't care if they fed on human blood or not. They were still a threat. And while he would have liked nothing more than to tear into each and every last one of them, Quil was right. It would be foolish to risk the lives of the pack like that. He made a promise that if he could not guarantee the entire pack's safety, he would not make a decision that would jeopardize it.

"Sooner or later they will have to move on in order to avoid exposing themselves. But in the meantime we need a treaty to keep them from doing harm or future harm, if they ever decide to come back."

Quil was the first one to speak up. "That sounds good to me." he agreed, nodding. "It's our best option." He glanced over at Levi. "What do you think?"

"What does it matter what I think?" Levi snorted, eyes darting to Jacob. "The Alpha's already made up his mind."

"Do you have a better solution?" Jacob responded sharply, his gaze harsh. "Because if so don't be afraid to speak up. I'm all ears." Levi looked away, still glowering severely.

"I thought so." Jacob looked to the rest of the room, his composure disrupted. "Anyone else have anything else to say?" Silence. "Good. Tomorrow night the pack will meet with the vampires and talk to them about a treaty."

"And if they don't agree to our terms?" Levi inquired, he and Quil moving to follow Jacob out the door.

He stopped, the others looking to him expectantly, and shook his head. "They wouldn't be that stupid."

He ducked under the doorway and stepped out onto the porch, inhaling the crisp air as he moved down the steps. Quil and Levi flanked him. "Quil, I want you to phase and continue patrolling the area. Howl if you see or hear anything regarding the leeches. I'll take over as soon as I return from checking up on Quinn. Levi, you can go home and rest. If I need you, I'll call."

"Right. But Jake, can we talk to you for a second?" He reluctantly stopped and turned around. "Yeah?"

Quil shifted his weight, rubbing at the back of his neck uncomfortably. "While you were running to meet us, we kind of heard your thoughts."

His brow knitted together before he understood what Quil was trying to get at. He automatically stiffened. He was getting increasingly better at keeping his thoughts concerning Quinn to himself while phased - the less involved his pack mates were with his relationship, the less of a burden he imposed on them - but earlier he had been too anxious to keep his focus properly.

"Is she really pregnant?" Levi asked quietly.

"Yes, she is." He nodded.

Levi looked to him with a raised brow. "You do realize that once Tabitha gets wind of all this, she'll probably rip your balls off, right?"

Quil chuckled slightly, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, she hasn't been giving you those warnings to break things off with your girl just for nothing."

He started toward the trees again, shaking his head. "Tabitha does _not_ scare me." He snorted at the very idea.

"She's going to blow a fuckin' gasket when she finds out you secretly married that blonde and got her pregnant." Levi pressed, the three of them venturing deeper into the forest. "I know you've asked us to keep quiet but you can't keep it all a secret forever."

"I don't intend to. I'm just waiting for the right time. And for the record, I could care less how Tabitha reacts to the news. I've told her time and time again that I'm not interested and that I don't have feelings for her in every possible way. And yet she's still as delusional as ever."

"She is _not_ delusional." Levi growled.

"No, she's _fuckin'_ delusional." Quil corrected with a chuckle. "You look up _delusional_ in a dictionary and you'll find her picture right there. The same goes if you look up _crazy, scary,_ and _witch_." Mid-laugh, he was roughly pushed by Levi. He stumbled back a step, his good-natured disposition instantly replaced with that of a provoked one.

"Cool it, both of you." Jacob ordered, arm darting out at the same time Quil lunged toward Levi and pushing at his best friend's chest.

"You should be saying that to Levi. You know how ruffled his fur gets when anyone talks badly about his _precious_ Tabitha." Quil started to make kissing noises and Levi lunged in retaliation, snarling.

"For Christ's sake cut it out." Jacob bellowed, his patience with the two of them waning. He pushed Levi away from Quil. "You two are acting like five-year olds."

Levi gruffly pushed his arm away and glared at him. "You know you wouldn't even be having a problem with Tabitha if you just would stop sending her mixed signals all the time."

Jacob stared at him in disbelief, then shared it with Quil. "How the hell have I been sending her mixed signals? I've been damn clear about my feelings since the beginning."

"Whenever we have a bonfire down at the beach you flirt with her!" Levi exclaimed, fuming.

"Jacob? Flirt with _Tabitha?_" Quil guffawed. "Man, not even if she was the last female on the planet!"

"Yeah, I have never flirted with Tabitha in my entire life." he clarified. "I think you're getting flirting mixed up with _being polite_. You'd know the difference if you actually practiced the latter." Levi growled and lunged for him but this time Quil interceded.

His jaw tightened. It took all his willpower to not phase and rip Levi a new one. He was really grating his last nerve. "You know what? You're just pissed off that Tabitha won't even take a second glance at you. So instead of taking your anger out on us, why don't you just go home and unwind before I make you take on a double shift."

"Fuck off." Levi spat, slamming into his shoulder before he stalked past him.

Shaking his head, Jacob watched Levi's form disappeared into the shadow before looking back to Quil with a heavy sigh.

Quil turned his head and smiled wryly. "Just another Tuesday, right?"

He laughed despite himself and nodded. "Yeah. Right." He clasped his good friend on the shoulder before heading off. "I'll be back in a little while."

"Take your time, man." Quil kicked off his shoes - his last pair - and began undoing his shorts. "I've got energy to spare."

"Thanks, Quil." He continued in the opposite direction and halfway decided to phase just so he would get there faster.

He phased back to human once he reached the break in the trees near Quinn's house. He slipped on his shorts before walking back into her backyard. As he neared the house, he tilted his head back to survey her window. He then scanned the surrounding area to check that no one happened to be around. He couldn't afford to be seen by a neighbor or a random passerby. Though he doubted he would at this time of night.

Shaking his head, he started to climb up the trellis under her window. Thankfully his advanced reflexes allowed him to move quickly otherwise he might have broken the damn thing after one step. He slowly pushed the window open and launched himself inside. He knew this was beyond risky but after what happened with the leeches and with the pack thereafter, nothing would appease him more than ensuring Quinn and the baby were safe.

He straightened himself up once his feet touched the floor and moved closer to her bed. "Quinn?" His voice was barely above a whisper, but in the small, dark room where he didn't belong, it was more like a shout. It being so late, he didn't really expect an answer, but had to see anyways.

"Jacob?" She didn't sound as asleep as he would have liked. In fact she didn't sound as though she had been sleeping at all.

"What are you doing still up?" He sighed, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Honey, you need to get some rest. You're sleeping for two now, remember?"

"I know." She opened up her blankets and moved off to the side so that he could join her. Her bed probably wasn't big enough for them both but he didn't care. He winced slightly as it creaked under his weight. "I just have a lot on my mind - I couldn't stop worrying about you."

"You have nothing to worry about, Quinn." He pulled her into his lap and held her tightly, his face nestling into the crook of her neck to breathe in her comforting scent.

"I've decided that I'm going to tell my grandparents tomorrow…about us and the baby."

He lifted his head from its place and looked at her seriously. "Are you sure? I mean, you don't have to do this right away. We still have plenty of time before-"

"I'm tired of lying to them." she gently interrupted. "I've been delaying this for far too long as it is and I would rather they find out from me now than find out from someone else later. They probably won't allow me to stay here after I tell them but I can handle it. I have you and that's all I really need."

"You'll stay at my house on the Res from then on." he decided, relaxing his back against her headboard. His father probably wouldn't approve of the new living arrangement but he couldn't care less. Quinn was his wife and the mother of his child - she was _supposed_ to live with him. He would work on finding them a house once this whole vampire thing was settled. "You'll be safer there anyways now that we've got vampires in the area." His grip on her unconsciously tightened.

"_Vampires_?" Her head snapped up from its resting place against his chest. "I thought you said there was only one."

"I thought so too." he responded, jaw terse. "There almost always is but when I met up with Levi and Quil, there was three of them. Apparently five total in their coven."

He sensed the unease in her voice as she spoke. "What did they want?"

"They were hunting, feeding on animals in the area. Levi and Quil were on patrol when they came across their scent. They said they meant us no harm, that they were different from other vampires. They preyed solely animals, not humans."

"So what happened?"

"Levi was ready to kill the leeches right then and there. He didn't care if they feed on humans or not. They were still the enemy. I didn't want to let them walk away either but our numbers were evenly matched and while I was sure we could take them, if their other two coven members came to help…well I wasn't willing to risk it. If we all died, there would be no more wolves to protect the tribe. Anyways I told them, _the Cullens _as they called themselves, that we needed to discuss the matter amongst ourselves and asked them if they would return to the same place tomorrow night."

Quinn nodded and though she relaxed back against his chest, he could sense her apprehension. "I won't let any harm come to you or the baby." he promised as she squeezed her eyes shut. He kissed her eyelids, one after the other. "You don't have to worry. They'll never touch you."

"The Cullens aren't the only ones I'm worried about, Jacob." Her voice was slightly muffled by his skin but he heard everyone perfectly.

He looked down at her, brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

She sighed heavily and mumbled one word: "Tabitha."

He immediately straightened up. "You don't have to worry about her, Quinn. I don't have any feelings for her whatsoever."

"Not now, but in a couple months, when I'm as big as a whale, you aren't going to find me attractive. And you'll want to-"

"No, I won't." He interrupted firmly. "I will _always_ love you, no matter what size you are. And I would never even think about cheating you, let alone actually doing it." He pressed his lips to her temple before resting his head against hers. "Don't let her get to you."

"Kind of hard not to when she's in love with you." she grumbled. He shook his head and sighed. Quinn hadn't even met Tabitha and already she was getting worried that he would leave her for someone else. It kind of made him want to introduce her to Tabitha just so she'd realize that she had _nothing_ to worry about.

"She'll get over it."

She lifted her head from his chest once more. "And what if she doesn't? What if she tries to break us up?"

"She can try all she wants but that is _never_ going to happen." he assured her seriously. "I promise."

He would never let Tabitha - of all people - get in the way of his happiness. Not if he could help it.

* * *

The sound of a knock on the front door jolted Jacob from his sleep. He rubbed at his eye and glanced around, unsure of when exactly he had fallen asleep in the first place. Sighing, he remained on the sofa for a moment, eyes staring at the ceiling, but not really seeing. He wasn't sure why he kept dreaming about the past. It wasn't uncommon for him to do so, but lately it just felt as though it was increasingly frequent.

He reluctantly pushed himself upright and walked toward the front door when the persistent knocking was unable to be ignored for another second. He already knew who would be waiting on the other side - Quinn had already given him the head's up _thankfully_. He was glad Quinn chose to befriend Rachel after all. It would do her a lot of good to have someone she could actually speak to.

He pulled the door open to a beaming Rachel. "Hey, Rachel." he greeted with a small sigh.

"Hello, Jacob." She greeted enthusiastically. "I hope my visit isn't a surprise to you."

"No, Quinn told me." he replied, stepping aside to let her in - well actually moving out of the way as she waltzed in without permission. He closed the door behind her and nodded his head toward the large tote bag in her grasp. "What's with the bag?"

"Oh, just some movies, board games, sheet music -" She whipped around to face him, eyes hopeful. "You don't happen to sing, do you?"

"Um no. Sorry." He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Quinn's the artistic one."

She shrugged. "That's okay. I'm perfectly used to doing solos. In fact I prefer them. But anyways, I just brought along some things to entertain us for awhile." She walked into the living room, where he followed.

"I thought we'd start off with a movie to get the night going. If that's alright."

"Um, yeah, sure." She was, after all, already turning on the television and setting up the dvd player as she spoke. He sat back down on the couch and relaxed. "So what are we watching?"

Rachel spun around, her eyes crazy-girl wide as she held up the dvd up to her nose and dramatically uttered the two words: "_Funny Girl_."

* * *

**AN: More Rachel/Quinn friendship to come and maybe even a duet! Anyways thanks for reading and please review! **


	6. Chapter 6

**An: These next two chapters were originally supposed to just be one chapter, but then the length got ridiculously out of hand so I had to chop it in two. Sorry I took so long to update. School's been keeping me plenty busy. **

**Anyways, as always, read. enjoy. review!**

* * *

Friday afternoon saw the New Directions' final glee meeting for the week. It had been a productive week for the group if Rachel did say so herself - especially considering sectionals were so close on the horizon. And although there was still some disagreement among the group over their final set list and who would be singing what, she had the utmost confidence that they would be taking sectionals for the win a second time in a row.

The final bell ending the school day had only rung a few minutes prior but already the hallways of McKinley were deserted, those who were not involved in any after school activities were more than ready to start their weekend and had left the campus as soon as possible. Now that she had actual friends to occupy her time with, she quite looked forward to the weekend as well.

As of late, her days would mainly be spent with Quinn, where they would do everything from going shopping at the mall to catching up on their favorite shows at her house. Then during the night she would spend time with Jacob, keeping him company while he worked on his motorcycle and sometimes trying out new solos on him to get his feedback - although she was pretty sure he didn't exactly enjoy the latter.

And of course when she wasn't with Quinn or Jacob, she was spending time with her loving boyfriend. Ever since Finn had caught her with Jacob at Breadstix - they had merely been waiting for their take-out order when Finn, Kurt and their parents walked in - he had become a little paranoid that she was cheating on him or something. And though she constantly assured him that Jacob was merely a friend, Finn was still clearly jealous of their relationship, however innocent it was.

Although, if she had _really_ wanted to squash Finn's jealousy, she would have just informed him that Jacob already had a girlfriend of his own, but now that he had the idea in his head that he could possibly lose her to some other guy, Finn had become much more attentive and was trying to be an overall better boyfriend to her. It was a win-win all around, if you asked her, and as an added plus, she found jealous Finn to be _incredibly_ sexy.

It had been a couple weeks since she and Quinn had become friends and she couldn't be happier with how their relationship was progressing. Quinn, a naturally reserved person, was slowly - but surely - opening up to her more and more with each passing day. Granted there was still much that the blonde kept to herself, Quinn had yet to tell her how she and Jacob became - for lack of a better term - _cursed_, in the first place and while she was still incredibly curious about that, she knew her nosiness was one of the traits people liked least about her and she was trying exceptionally hard to be a better, more likable, person.

Although at the moment she wasn't exactly too focused on being liked.

"Quinn." She walked into the choir room a step behind the blonde, her tone pleading. "_Please_ can we go today?" They'd been working on this duet for what felt like _ever_ and she was more than ready to showcase it to the rest of the club. The song selection was brilliant - if she did say so herself - and the overall performance was bound to be a knockout.

"Rachel, please…"

She sighed heavily, fighting the urge to stamp her foot down. She did not understand the blonde's reluctance whatsoever. Quinn had a lovely voice and - thanks to her help and reassurance - she now sang louder and with more confidence than ever before. She could just picture the impressed looks on Mr. Schuester and the rest of the club's faces when they finished the number.

_If _they ever did it, that is.

"Quinn, need I remind you that I'm like Tinkerbell and that I need applause to _live?_ Do you even know how long it's been since I've had a solo?"

Despite her initial misgivings, she had taken Quinn's advice on sharing the spotlight every once and a while and decided to take a step back to let the other members shine as well. Kurt, as well as Mercedes and Santana, really did deserve more solos…despite the fact that none of them were as good as she was. But still they were talented.

And while it was most definitely _not_ the easiest thing to do in the world, now that she knew what having friends felt like, she was determined to make the necessary changes that would ensure that, come graduation, she would be graduating with her glee _friends_, and not just acquaintances.

"Rachel, it's only been four days." Quinn was quick to point out. "Three and a half if you want to get technical."

"_Really?_" She took to her usual seat in front and frowned. It felt more like weeks - months if her blood sugar levels were low. "Huh. I could have sworn it was longer." She turned her head, brow still furrowed. "Are you sure?"

"Positive, Rachel." Quinn replied, too preoccupied with retrieving the sheet music for this week's group number to notice her pout.

Once the entire group had assembled, Mr. Schuester moved to the center of the room. He rubbed his hands together as he spoke up. "Alright guys, before we get back to work on the week's group number, does anyone have something they've been working on and would like to share?"

She leaned to the side, effectively invading the blonde's bubble, and whispered, "We should go."

"No." She huffed moodily and turned to face forward again, her arms crossed. Honestly Quinn could be so damn stubborn. Just like Jacob. Sometimes she felt like the two were one in the same.

"No one has…_anything?"_ Mr. Schuester looked to the group, slightly surprised. Usually at least _one_ person had something they'd like to share.

Her own hand shot up into the air defiantly just a second before Mr. Schuester was about to move on. "Quinn and I have something we've been working on, Mr. Schue."

"Tiny Jewish teenager say _what?_" She put her hand down and paid no attention to Puck's comment.

Mr. Schuester looked even more surprised at their pairing, but nodded regardless and gave them the floor. "Alright guys, let's give them our full undivided attention." She smiled gratefully and popped out of her seat, Quinn reluctantly following suit, her eyes glaring daggers at her.

"Man hands doing a duet with someone other than Frankenteen?" Santana remarked from the risers. "That's unheard of."

She looked to Quinn expectantly and after giving her a reassuring smile, the blonde turned to their audience and started. The song they chose to do was _What is This Feeling _from Wicked, a fun song that was even more fun to rehearse. She, of course, was Elphaba, while Quinn sang the part of Galinda.

_What is this feeling, so sudden, and new?_

_I felt the moment I laid eyes on you._

_My pulse is rushing._

_My head is reeling_

_My face is is this feeling? Fervid as a flame, does it have a name? Yes! _

She had to bite back her smile as she and Quinn both shot each other scathing looks, singing out the next line together: _Loathing! Unadulterated loathing!_

Obviously not how they truly felt about one another - she could now proudly say that Quinn was her _best_ friend - but it was too enjoyable of a song to _not_ perform. Besides, she was determined to sing every Elphaba _Wicked_ song in glee before graduation came around. And now that she had her Galinda (Kurt had been her first choice for Galinda ever since their _Defying Gravity _diva-off last year but for some unknown reason he wasn't keen on dueting with her. Like _ever._) she was _that_ much closer to accomplishing her goal.

_Though I do admit, it came on fast, still I do believe that it can last! _

_And I will be loathing for forever, loathing, truly deeply loathing you, my whole life long!_

The music ended and the two of them flicked their hair off their shoulder and with a huff, walked off to the opposite sides of the room. The rest of the club erupted with applause, prompting them to turn to one another and smile, cracking up with laughter soon after as they made their way back to the center of the room. They shared a hug as Mr. Schuester hopped down from his seat next to Mike and gestured to them both animatedly. "That was amazing, ladies! Rachel, terrific as always, and Quinn! Your voice has grown so much! You were so confident up there, I'm so proud!"

She beamed proudly while Quinn glanced down modestly, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as she pushed her hair out of her face.

"What a way to start us off today!" He laughed, clasping them both on their shoulder before looking back to the rest of the club. "Right guys?" The others nodded, still throwing out their enthusiasm and praise.

"Now does this mean you two are lovers or…what?" Santana drawled bitingly. "Cause that was _so_ gay."

"You are _really_ not the one to talk, Santana." Quinn retorted, glancing back over at the Latina and effectively shutting her up. "Rachel and I are just friends."

She nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, and I'll have you all know that Quinn and I are both in our own committed relationships and have no desire to engage in homosexual behavior with one another whatsoever."

"Anyways," Mr. Schuester was clearly getting uncomfortable with where the conversation had turned to. "Great job, girls."

She promptly walked back to her seat next to Finn while Quinn sat down on the opposite side of her, still getting compliments from Mercedes and Tina.

"We were fantastic." she said proudly, adding some extra pep in her step when they walked out of the choir room together once glee had finished for the day. "I'd like to see the others try and top that performance. But now for our next performance-"

Quinn groaned. "Rachel, for the millionth time, we are not singing _Wind Beneath My Wings_."

"Oh no." She quickly waved that idea off, shaking her head. "I've decided I would rather you sing that song at my funeral."

Quinn had to do a double-take. "Please tell me you're joking."

"Of course not. Though if it helps, in exchange for singing at my funeral and also giving my eulogy, I promise you will be the first person I thank when I receive my first Tony. Well, the second person, actually, my dads would be devastated if I didn't thank them first."

"Rachel, have I told you how insane you are lately?"

"Actually yes, yes you have. Several times." She nodded, instantly recalling each occurrence. "Twice in the last hour, seven times today so far, fifteen times-"

"Rachel." Quinn drawled.

"Right." With a firm nod, she stopped her rambling. "Shutting up now."

* * *

Quinn walked up the stairs with laundry basket in hand, softly singing along to the music blaring from the downstairs stereo. It being Saturday finally gave her the chance to catch up on the household chores she had been lagging in for the past week. She set down the laundry basket on the bed and began to hang up her dresses before they wrinkled. Once that was done she started on Jacob's clothes. She was about halfway done when she noticed the wear on some of his shirts and after finding a hole in one, she decided to stop by the nearest Wal-Mart to pick up some new shirts for him.

Quickly finishing up with the laundry, she then changed out of her grungy cleaning clothes and headed downstairs. She didn't particularly enjoy going to Wal-Mart (who in their right mind did?) but there was no _Target_ in or remotely around Lima so she had to make do with what she had. And it wasn't like Jacob was particularly picky with his clothes anyways.

_At Wal-Mart…_

Pushing a cart through the automated sliding doors, she mindlessly nodded along to whatever it was that Rachel had gone to rambling about now. The three main topics the brunette tended to ramble on about were Finn, glee, and New York/Broadway. At this point it could've been either one and if she had been paying closer attention, she probably would have just done a process of elimination to figure out exactly which one.

She could have easily come to Wal-Mart by herself but she'd called up Rachel before she had even realized what she was doing. Not that it was a big deal or anything. She had come to enjoy the brunette's company. Once you got used to her…colorful personality…she wasn't all that bad. Granted she still had her quirks - most of them tolerable, some of them endearing, and the others just down right annoying - but Rachel was trying to be better. They both were really, since neither one of them were exactly connoisseurs in the whole friendship department and this newfound friendship they had going was a complete learning process.

"…I just, I have no idea what Santana's problem is. I mean, haven't I been sharing enough of the solos? I have right? Of course I have…"

Ah. Santana. While the Latina wasn't usually a main topic of discussion for Rachel, ever since the Hummel - Hudson wedding, Santana had amped up her usual level of malice toward her for reasons still unknown to them.

"Don't let her get under your skin, Rachel." she advised, eyes surveying the aisles on either side of her for things she or Jacob might need. "Her hostility toward you, and toward everyone else for that matter, is just a manifestation of the anger she feels due to her many confusing, as well as repressed, feelings for Brittany."

Rachel looked over at her quizzically. "And she told you all this?"

"God no." She scoffed at the very idea. "This is all purely based on speculation. Though I have a feeling I'm pretty accurate with my summation." It was, after all, pretty obvious that Brittany and Santana were more than friends, despite the fact that the former was supposedly dating Artie.

"Still, I just wish she would pick on someone else for a change." Rachel sighed. "I mean, no offense, by why does she never go after you?"

"Because Santana is not one to make the same mistake twice." She smiled slyly at Rachel's surprised expression and continued onward. "And also you're more annoying than the rest of the club combined, so I'm pretty sure that has something to do with the fact you're at the top of her hit-list."

That stopped Rachel dead in her tracks. "Wait, she was serious about that?"

* * *

"And people say _I'm_ crazy."

She playfully glared at Rachel for that remark and folded up the pair of dark wash jeans she'd been examining and set them down in the cart. "Thanks a lot, Rachel."

"I'm sorry but you'd have to be if you would willingly repeat high school as many times as -" She subtly jabbed Rachel in the ribs when an employee putting back clothes passed them by. Rachel scowled.

"It's not like I had many alternatives." she replied, quieting her tone as she began pushing the cart through the men's department again. "I mean, if I stayed home all the time I would probably go mad. Besides I like to think continually being in school keeps my mind sharp."

Rachel grimaced. "Repeating high school over and over for decades sounds like my own personal Hell."

"Occasionally I change it up and go to college instead." She said with a shrug, stopping the cart once more to pick out some t-shirts. "But the point is it keeps me busy."

She surveyed the various styles of shirts displayed in front of her and opted for the plain cotton t-shirts Jacob always wore. For a second she thought about trying something different but the graphic tees seemed too juvenile for him and the dress shirts were much too formal for casual wear. Rachel suggested she pair the shirts with plaid long-sleeves, but she politely shot down the idea. She would not have her Jacob dressing like Finn.

"So how many places have you lived in exactly?"

She paused for a moment, needing to think it over. "Um, well we moved here from Tennessee, but we've lived everywhere from Oregon to Michigan." She wasn't exactly sure what the total tally was off the top of her head.

"But what ever made you want to come to _Lima_?" Rachel wrinkled her nose slightly.

She pushed the cart out onto one of the main aisles and shrugged. "I don't really know to be honest. It just seemed like a nice, _quiet_ town to settle down in."

"_Boring_ is more like it." Rachel muttered, glancing sideways at the shelving on their left.

She laughed. "In my case boring is a good thing. Do you need anything while we're here?"

She turned the cart at the nearest intersection, not realizing where she was going, and ended up stopping short at the sight before her. Her stomach lurched uncomfortably. She instantly debated backtracking and getting as far away from this specific department as possible but in the back of her mind she knew she was just being ridiculous. It had been how many years and she was still dodging the baby aisle like the plague? _Get a grip, Fabray_.

Shaking her head, she pressed on and effectively ignored all the mother's and their babies on both her left and right. She couldn't help but let a small sigh of relief escape her when they made it to the checkouts.

She had hoped that Rachel had been too oblivious to notice her minor internal freak-out, but of course she had no such luck as the brunette delicately brought up the incident during the drive home.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Rachel." she responded with a slight twinge of irritation. She had her eyes glued to the road but that didn't mean she did not notice the sympathetic look on Rachel's face. "It's a stupid thing to get worked up over, I know, but…" she sighed heavily, "I just don't like being reminded of what I've lost."

Rachel nodded understandingly. "Who does?" There was a momentarily lapse in silence before she continued speaking. "Quinn, if you don't mind my asking…"

Knowing Rachel was bound to persist on the subject until she knew what happened, she exhaled deeply and told her the next chapter of hers and Jacob's story.

* * *

_**1936**_

She dabbed at her eyes with her cardigan sleeve once again, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes as her mind ventured back to the day's earlier events. She had tried to preoccupy herself with other musings but her attempts were proving futile. She turned her head and quickly blinked away the moisture stinging her eyes before Jacob could catch a glimpse. She didn't want him to see her upset. But he must have sensed it anyways because she suddenly felt the weight of his head lift off her lap. Her other hand - the one that had been running through his short hair - fell to her side. After sitting upright, Jacob turned his body toward hers, forcing her to meet his concerned gaze. "How are you doing, honey?"

"Better." she replied, managing a small smile when he reached for her and gently pulled her into his lap. His right hand swept over the length of her back, brushing off the bits of bark and dirt she'd received from resting against the tree for so long.

This morning she had broken the news of her pregnancy and the nature of her relationship with Jacob to her grandparents. Jacob had left prior to her waking up - he had to return to the forest to relieve Quil of patrol - but had offered beforehand to be there when she broke the news to her family. And though she would have been more at ease with him at her side, she had a feeling his presence would only make matters worse. Her grandfather did after all have half a dozen shot guns stored in various parts of the house and while Jacob had accelerated healing, she doubted that even he could survive a bullet to the head.

Grimacing at the very thought, she turned and curled into her wolf's body, reveling in his heat, in his safety. Her grandparents had taken the news about as well as she thought they would. There had been so much yelling, shouting, and crying from all parties that by the time her grandfather had turned to telephone her parents, she just couldn't take anymore of it and walked out the door. She had no desire to be yelled at and formally disowned by her mother and father too. And seeing as how she had already packed her belongings prior to confronting her grandparents, it only took a few moments to gather her things and leave.

The only thing she had left was a piece of paper with Jacob's address and phone number, just in case any of her family ever needed to get in contact with her. She highly doubted her parents would ever use it, even with if they had the intention on dragging her behind back home to Seattle, but she could never be completely sure.

After walking out of her family's lives, presumably for good, she had ventured into the forest and sought out her Jacob. Though he had been in the midst of patrolling La Push, he could always pick up on her presence no matter where he was. He met up with her in a matter of minutes and took her to his house after she had explained what happened. Jacob's father, also as expected, hadn't been thrilled with the news of gaining a new resident to his household but there wasn't really anything he could do about it. Not unless he wanted to get on his son's bad side.

Then, once she had settled into her new room, the one she would now share with Jacob, the two of them decided to take a walk through the forest for some private time.

She gasped abruptly at the sudden feeling of Jacob's warm hand gently pressing against her stomach. "When do you think you'll start showing?" he asked her curiously, his hand moving in soothing circular motions around her abdomen. She pursed her lips together, blushing, the sensation not only soothing, but pleasurable also.

She shook her head. "I don't know." she replied, her hand unconsciously covering his. She didn't know much about babies or pregnancy to be frank. "But that reminds me, I should probably go see a doctor in town and schedule an appointment. I want to make sure nothing's wrong with the baby."

Jacob nodded understandingly, his hand still resting protectively over her stomach. "I can take you to the hospital here in La Push. It's smaller than the one in Forks but the people there are just as qualified. We can go right now if you'd like."

"Don't you have to patrol?" Her eyes quickly widened with realization. "Wait, shouldn't you be on patrol _right now_?" She'd almost forgotten that he had never returned to his patrol after taking her to his house like he was supposed to.

"It's okay." he assured her with a small laugh. "I may not be phased but I can still sense if trouble is anywhere near our land." He leaned forward and kissed her hair when suddenly a low rumble seemed to echo around them. He pulled back from her and lifted his head, as she did, to look up beyond the branches of the trees, at the sky which had darkened with ominous storm clouds.

She frowned, dismayed at the sudden change of weather, and glanced back at Jacob with a small sigh. She wasn't surprised but she had hoped that the sun would have stayed around for at least a few more days.

"A storm's definitely on its way." Jacob informed her just as she pushed herself out of his lap and got back onto her feet. "A big one by the looks of it."

"Oh joy." Her gaze flickered back to the grey sky with a shake of her head. She gasped slightly when Jacob picked her up without warning. "We better get home before it starts raining cats and dogs." He started back for home, his grip on her firm and his pace hurried. "Can't risk you getting sick."

She arched her eyebrow up at him. "You do realize I have my own two legs and am perfectly capable of walking on my own, right?"

"Well aware, honey." he smiled. "But you're too damn slow."

She scoffed indignantly and went as far as to smack his chest, which prompted him to raise his eyebrows in surprise. "Am not. For your information I walk at a perfectly normal speed."

"Maybe to another human, but to me you're like a snail." He laughed at her expression, chortling as he continued, "I can only imagine how worse it's gonna be when you're nine months pregnant. You'll be waddling like a…" His laughter, along with his words, quickly died down when he caught a glimpse of the hard glare she was giving him.

"Finish that sentence, Jacob." she challenged, eyes still narrowed with displeasure. "I dare you."

Jacob actually looked intimidated for a fraction of a second, before the humor shone through his eyes, a wide grin accompanying it. "You're adorable when you think you're being tough, you know that? Like a kitten."

She snorted at the very idea. "I am not a kitten."

"Not all the time," he conceded with a chuckle, nipping at her earlobe playfully, "sometimes you're like a wildcat. Like a_ lioness_."

She chuckled lightly. "Hmm. A lioness." She smiled satisfactorily, nodding her head in approval. "Now that's more like it."

* * *

They were lucky to have made it back to the house just before the rain started, the first few droplets catching her cheek right as she was bounding up the front porch steps. She laughed breathlessly as she crossed the house's threshold, Jacob a fraction of a second behind her. The two of them having just raced each other from the break in the trees. "And the lioness for the win!" she declared proudly, throwing up her hands victoriously and doing a small little dance.

"You only beat me because I had tripped over that damn tree root." Jacob clarified as he locked the front door behind them.

"Yes, I'm sure that's why." she teased, stopping to look back at him. As he approached her, she distinctly heard the sound of his stomach growling. "Sounds like it's time to feed my hungry wolf." She smiled at his sheepish expression and grasped his hand, then led him into the small kitchen. She looked to him expectantly. "So what would you like?"

"You." he replied with a low growl, suddenly lifting her up and setting her down onto the kitchen counter. Her cheeks burned crimson when he walked in between her parted legs and began passionately kissing her. Not that she didn't like her husband kissing her, but she really didn't want Jacob's father - who was in the living room - to stumble upon their intimate displays of affection.

"Down boy." She giggled, gently pushing at his shoulders until their lips parted. "Now what would you _really_ like for lunch? And sorry," she lightly pecked his lips before sliding down from her perch, "but _I_ am not on the menu."

Jacob grunted his mock displeasure before walking around her and opening up the icebox to inspect its contents. "How's a BLT sound to you?" He looked to her and laughed, already knowing she never turned down food that contained bacon.

"Do you even half to ask?" She swiftly turned around and opened the breadbox, then grabbed almost all the slices of bread they had, knowing Jacob would eat at least half a dozen sandwiches. She then sliced up a tomato and peeled apart a head of lettuce, while he fried up the bacon. In between they took the time to cast each other affectionate glances and stole the occasional kiss or two, the both of them thoroughly enjoying this new perk of living under the same roof.

She could only imagine how better it would be when they had their own home with their child's laughter to fill the air.

"Bacon's done." Jacob announced, the mouthwatering aroma permeating the kitchen, and causing her stomach to growl. Together they fixed up their sandwiches and within ten minutes they were both indulging in their lunch, Jacob all but inhaling one sandwich right after the other.

She had just taken another bite of her sandwich when he commented, through a mouthful of food, "And you say _I_ eat a lot."

Her brow furrowed as looked up at him from her food. She chewed for a few seconds before responding with, "What are you talking about?"

A slow grin spread across his face. His eyes darted to the sandwich she had in her hands. "Only a couple weeks into your pregnancy and already you've developed the metabolism of a wolf." he speculated, taking a moment to wipe his chin with the back of his hand. "That's your third BLT already."

She glanced down at her food, then noticed she had taken her current sandwich of off his plate and started to eat it without realizing. She immediately set the sandwich back down on her plate with a grimace. After picking up her napkin to wipe the crumbs off her fingers, she stood up with her plate and walked it over to the trash. "If I keep this up I'll be the size of the whale when it comes time to give birth."

"You're eating for two now." he gently reminded, sliding off his stool to move around to the kitchen sink where she was washing off her plate. He came up to her from behind and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her abdomen for a moment before settling his hands on her hips. "But frankly I can't wait for you to start showing. I can just picture how beautiful you're going to look and…damn." A shiver ran down her spine just as a low, pleasant rumble escaped him. His hands then began to roam her body in a more sensual manner while his hot breath tickled her ear. "I won't be able to keep my hands off you, that's for sure."

"You already can't do that now." she pointed out with a giggle, turning her head and kissing his cheek before stepping out of his grasp. "C'mon, let's go to bed."

Jacob rumbled again approvingly, his eyes quickly darkening with desire. "Yes, ma'am."

"To _sleep_." she instantly clarified upon seeing the look in his eyes. His face immediately fell. She shook her head at him. Like she would ever do such a thing with his father in the same house.

She reached for his hand and lifted her gaze, backtracking out of the kitchen as she led him out of the kitchen. "I could do with a nap and most certainly so could you." She hated how he seemingly had dark circles permanently etched under his eyes. He was running himself ragged spending time with her and caring for his father on top of fulfilling all his pack duties.

"I won't argue with you on that, but I'd rather make love first." They walked through the living room together, both spotting Jacob's father sitting in his wheelchair by his reading lamp, head tipped back and eyes shut, a light snore emitting from him. "Great, the old man's out cold." Jacob spun around and grabbed her hips, effectively pulling her closer to his body. "He won't hear a thing-"

"When we're _alone_, Jacob." she promised, interjecting gently, and moving out of his arms.

"Fine." He reluctantly dropped his hands down to her side. She continued toward his bedroom and walked through the open doorway, when Jacob suddenly stopped. "Shoot. I'll be right back honey. I need to get one of the guys to take over my shift." He placed a quick kiss to her temple and turned on his heel.

Turning her body toward Jacob's bed, she took a moment to remove her socks and shoes before sliding in between the cool sheets. She briefly thought about removing her dress and just sleeping in her slip, but quickly discarded the idea as she didn't want Jacob to get any ideas, or think her a tease.

She relaxed her head against the pillow and patiently waited for her wolf to return to her. He walked through the door a few minutes after he had left, quietly closing his door behind him. "Did you get someone to take over your patrol?" she asked, yawning slightly as he approached the bed and joined her. His bed was small, barely big enough for Jacob alone, but they somehow made it work with their two bodies.

"Yeah. I howled for one of them and Quil was quick to phase and answer. I asked him to find Levi for me and tell him to take on the patrol since Quil had just finished patrol a few hours ago. I don't want him to have to cover two shifts of mine so close together." He laid down on his side and pulled her body to his, his right arm wrapping around her body while his left tucked under her head. "I want the pack to be well rested for tonight."

"You're going to meet up with the Cullens." she murmured, her stomach suddenly ill at ease at the reminder.

He breathed a heavy sigh and nodded. "Yeah. My dad said the Council just finished drawing up an actual treaty with my provisions."

"They certainly work fast." she commented, to which he agreed. "So what will happen if the Cullens don't agree to your terms?"

"They will. They want to keep the peace with us and I don't they would want to do anything to jeopardize that. You have nothing to worry about." he added softly when she opened her mouth again, unconvinced. It was, after all, _vampires_ they were talking about. He touched his forehead to hers and nuzzled her nose in a reassuring manner. "The pack will be fine. _I'll _be fine. Now let's get some rest, shall we?"

She nodded, silently wishing she held his certainty. Shifting her body so that her back was to him, she felt herself smile when his body curled closer to hers, one hand protectively resting over her abdomen. "Jacob, what do you think it'll be?" she asked quietly, her hand moving to rest comfortably over his. She lifted her head and glanced over her shoulder. "The baby, I mean."

"Well my family's got a long history of firstborn males." he replied, raising his shoulders with a yawn. "But who knows, maybe we'll get a little girl." As he moved to lay on his back, she turned onto her other side, curling her body into his and resting her head against his chest.

"Boy, girl, whatever it is, I just want it to be healthy." she said softly, listening to the soothing sound of Jacob's heartbeat along with the along with the pitter-patter of the rain against his window. Her eyes started to droop, but before she was completely asleep, she felt his lips press into her hair and promise: "It will be."

* * *

The room was virtually pitch black when she woke up some time later, the only sliver of light coming from beneath the doorway. Seeing this through half-lidded, and very light sensitive eyes, she turned back around, having been facing away from Jacob's body for who knows how long, and curled back into his warmth. Though she was slowly becoming more alert, she kept her eyes closed, wanting to bask in the pleasant dream she'd just woken up from for a little while longer.

In her dream she was outside with Jacob, in the front yard of a house that was unfamiliar but that looked, and felt, like home. The area itself was recognizable so she assumed it to be in La Push.

She distinctly remembered sitting with him on the front porch, going over possible baby names, the two of them laughing and smiling over the more sillier options. Her stomach was slightly swollen from pregnancy, which led her to hope that this could be her reality in a few months time.

Then the dream shifted to another setting. To where she was lying on a bed, her stomach no longer full with life. At first this worried her, thinking that something terrible had happened. But then her dream self turned and smiled at Jacob, who laid next to her with their child sleeping on his chest, one large hand resting on the baby's tiny back, and his eyes so full of love. In this dream, the baby was a boy. A beautiful baby boy with Jacob's glossy black hair.

It was the picture her heart so desperately wanted, the one she could not wait to become a reality.

Running a hand over her flat stomach, she sighed softly. It was going to be a long time before she was going to be able to hold their baby in her arms.

Lifting her head from Jacob's chest, she looked to his face to see that he was still deeply immersed in sleep. He didn't look to like he was going to awaken anytime soon, not that she minded. He needed all the rest he could manage. She then began slowly easing her way out of the bed. It certainly wasn't an easy thing to do considering how small the bed was and how entangled their bodies had been but she managed without disturbing him. She wasn't surprised though - it usually took a stick of dynamite of wake Jacob up.

Moving carefully through the darkness, she picked up the small clock that was on his dresser and brought it to the window to see what the time read. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, then glanced out the window, the cold temperature having fogged up the glass almost entirely. No wonder it was so dark. She'd practically slept the entire day away.

Shaking her head, she maneuvered around the small room and set the clock back where it belonged. She was just about to search for one of the books she had packed with her when a knock came to Jacob's door. She automatically opened the door, but was mindful of the noise she made. Her eyes automatically narrowed from the brightness of the rest of the house and she to take a second to adjust to the light, before she focused on Jacob's father's figure. "Hello, Mr. Black." she greeted, her voice a little rough from sleep.

"Quil's here," he replied, "he says he needs to talk to Jake." She nodded understandingly and without another word turned around to wake up said wolf.

"Jacob, honey." She pressed one knee into the mattress and mildly shook his shoulder until he showed some signs of waking up. "Quil's here. He says he needs to talk to you. I imagine it's important."

And just like that, the Alpha was wide awake and on full alert. "What's wrong?" he asked instantly, bolting upright and all but launching himself out of bed. He didn't give her a chance to answer, not that she expected him to, as he was already out of the room.

She followed him out into the living room, crossing her arms over her chest as she did so, the heat she had absorbed from sleeping next to Jacob slowly waning and leaving her unprotected from the crisp air that had permeated through the house.

"What's going on, Quil?" Jacob inquired, his voice deep and authoritative. Quil straightened up upon his Alpha's arrival. "We don't meet up with those leeches until later. Did they cross onto our land? Did-"

"No, no, this isn't about the Cullens." Quil assured calmly. "Or any vampires. This is…" She could feel her brow furrow as Quil glanced her way then back again, "ah, a more _personal _matter."

With a jerk of his head, Quil took Jacob aside, out of earshot, and began speaking to him in a low voice. After glancing back at Billy - who merely shrugged his ignorance - she turned back around and leaned back against the armrest of the sofa, watching Jacob's facial expressions carefully. Whatever it was that Quil was telling him, it was not something Jacob wanted to hear. In fact he looked peeved.

Without a second thought she crossed the room and took to Jacob's side and grasped his hand, her thumb caressing the back of his hand in a soothing manner, as she looked between the two enormous young men in front of her. "What's going on?" She specifically looked to Jacob, knowing he would be more likely of the two to talk.

Quil also looked to Jacob expectantly, prompting him to sigh heavily and clarify. "Apparently Levi told Tabitha about _us_." He looked pointedly at their entwined hands and brushed his thumb over her ring finger knuckle so she knew exactly what he was referring to. Tabitha, like the rest of the tribe, did not know Jacob married her or that they were having a baby together. Well until now.

"Okay," she breathed. "What does that mean?" She knew there had to be more to it than that.

"She's on her way over here." Quil answered, prompting her to turn her head. "Presumably to rip Jake's balls off."

Jacob ignored Quil's latter comment and looked back at her. "It's nothing to get worked up over." he assured. "Maybe now she'll finally leave me alone and move on."

She arched her eyebrow skeptically at him. "And if she doesn't?"

"She'll probably turn Jake into a chihuahua." Quil commented wryly, earning a groan from Jacob.

She turned and frowned, not understanding the joke. "Huh?"

"Ignore Quil." Jacob advised with a roll of his eyes, shaking his head. "I certainly do."

"Tabitha's mother is the tribe's female shaman - like a medicine woman." Quil elaborated, looking to her and ignoring Jacob. "And word has it that medicine isn't the only thing being practiced in that household."

Jacob snorted derisively, still shaking his head. "Quil's got it in his head that Tabitha's some kind of witch."

"A witch." she repeated. When she thought of the term _witch_, she thought of warts, a pointy hat, and a broomstick. So naturally her initial thought was that Quil was just crazy, but then she reminded herself that she lived in a supernatural world, where vampires and werewolves roamed the forest. Who was she to say that witches didn't exist also?

"You shouldn't call her a witch, Quil." Jacob's father suddenly spoke up, frowning deeply. "She has inherited the extraordinary capability of harnessing power from nature to heal and can communicate with the Spirit world in ways-"

"God, not you too." Jacob groaned, effectively cutting off his father. "She does not have any powers. She does not talk to the Spirits, nor does she cast spells or whatever else the hell people around here claim she can do."

"Magic runs through our tribe's blood, son." Billy spoke seriously, while Jacob seemed to be fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "You, of all people, are living, breathing proof of that."

"Yeah, it doesn't get any more magical, running round the forest on four paws, chasing after blood sucking leeches." Quil agreed with a short laugh. "Hell, magic even brought you to your girl!"

She smiled faintly but Jacob just scowled. "Don't even start on that imprinting crap, Quil."

"All I'm saying is that you better watch your back when she gets here." Quil replied, following Jacob toward the window when he left her side. "Tabitha may be hot as hell but she's also bat shit crazy. Not to mention lethal when mad."

She pursed her lips together in a frown. Even though she had yet to officially meet Tabitha, and despite the fact that she wasn't particularly a fan of the girl, she didn't approve of Quil calling her crazy or a witch. Even if she was one.

No one deserved to be talked about like that behind their backs. She knew better than anyone what it felt like to be in those shoes and wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone.

"How else would you explain this storm?" Quil continued. "We've been having perfect weather for days now and suddenly this downpour emerges the day she finds out you're married to another girl?"

"We live in the rainiest state in the country, Quil." Jacob was quick to remind, turning to kiss her hair when she gravitated back toward his side. "This weather is nothing out of the ordinary."

"Damn." She tore her gaze away from Jacob's just as Quil pulled back from the window. "Speak of the Devil and she doth appear."

She peered outside but was unable to see past the fogged glass.

"What's Levi doing with her?" Jacob breathed out a frustrated sigh, after taking a second glance at the window before following Quil toward the door. "He's supposed to be on patrol."

She shrugged on her jacket, the one she had hung up on the coat rack, and moved out the door but Jacob prevented her from crossing the threshold. "Stay here, Quinn." She crossed her arms instantly. She was going to meet this Tabitha sooner or later, might as well be now. "Jacob-"

"I don't want you out in this weather." he stated firmly. "Remember? The last thing you need is to get sick."

"It's hardly raining now." she pointed out, glancing past his hulking frame. "Just a light mist. I'll be fine." She pulled the door closed behind her and then pushed past him without another word.

She heard him sigh gruffly behind her and she chuckled, knowing well enough that her overprotective wolf really didn't like when she was being stubborn. If only he knew just how crazy - of course, a _good _kind of crazy - he drove her when _he_ was being stubborn.

As she came down from the last porch step, she lifted her head and examined the Native American girl walking across the yard, toward them with purpose. She faintly noticed Levi trailing after her, but her main focus was on Tabitha. She was, without a doubt, absolutely _stunning_. With her long, sleek raven black hair, flawless complexion, and beautiful almond-shaped brown eyes framed with thick eyelashes, it was hard to imagine anyone ever passing by her without a second glance.

Walking alongside Jacob, they closed the distance between their two groups, with Quil flanking his Alpha. Jacob stepped forward and before he could even finishing saying Tabitha's name…

_Slap_.

She recoiled from the sharp sound - as if _she_ had been the one slapped - though in reality it had been _Jacob_.

"You are a repulsive piece of dirt, Jacob Black." Tabitha seethed, her eyes burning with fury. In the distance, thunder rumbled. Her gaze then whipped toward her. "And _you_."

She moved in front of Jacob, not in the least afraid of the girl, and glared deeply, not at all amused by the fact that she had just hit _her_ Jacob.

"Don't even, Tabitha." Jacob warned, his gaze never wavering as he moved protectively in front of her. "Quinn go inside. Now."

"No thank you." Was her defiant response as she moved out from behind her husband's protection.

Frustrated, Jacob looked away from her and fixated his attention back on Tabitha. His gaze briefly flickered to Levi, who stood by her side. "Levi return to your post. This doesn't concern you."

Levi snorted, unyielding. "The hell it does."

"Someone needs to be on patrol." Jacob reminded, his jaw terse. "Now phase and return to your duties before I give you a _direct_ order."

"Go ahead." Levi challenged, knowing Jacob never used the Alpha order.

"I hope you're happy now! I'll be the laughing stock of the entire tribe once people find out about this." Tabitha yelled, effectively directing Jacob's attention away from Levi . "How dare you choose to marry some paleface over me! She's not even pretty."

The dark haired girl's eyes raked down her body, and back up to her face again. Quinn saw the blatant dismissal in them, and felt the sting, prompting her temper to rise a little and cheeks to flush.

"Calm the fuck down, Tabitha." Jacob snapped irritably, his own hackles raised. "You know damn well that I was never going to leave her. Don't act like this is such a shock."

"You and I are _supposed_ to be together, Jacob." Tabitha retorted. "It's what the tribe wants."

"It's what _you_ want." he corrected before exhaling frustratedly. He turned and shook his head, then looked back at her. "God. How many times have we been over this already? I don't love you. I've never loved you and I've _never_ wanted to be with you. And yet for some unknown reason you don't seem to be able to grasp that concept!"

Tabitha, eyes now blazing, raised her hand to slap Jacob once more, but Quinn - whose reflexes were surprisingly fast - caught the girl's wrist before she had the chance to touch the skin. "Do _not_ touch him."

Tabitha was quick to yank her wrist out of her grasp but held her deep rooted glare, which Quinn easily returned.

"Seems like Jake's not the only one we shouldn't provoke." Quil commented with a short laugh in attempt to ease the tension.

"They will never accept her." Tabitha spoke, turning back to Jacob. "She will always be thought of nothing more than your albino whore."

Jacob snarled viciously and while Levi tried to step in front of Tabitha, Quinn took a hold of Jacob's arm to ensure he didn't try and do anything he might later regret. "Get the fuck off my property, Tabitha, before I forcibly remove you myself!"

Tabitha like Jacob had just slapped her. "How dare you! I will not be spoken to in such a way, Jacob Black and I sure as hell will not-"

"Then leave!" Jacob bellowed. The rain started up again, prompting him to reach for Quinn's hand. "This conversations' over anyways."

Lightening crackled above their heads. She reluctantly followed Jacob toward the front porch even though she felt like there was still more to be said. Her instincts proved right as Tabitha spoke up again, ranting not in English, but what Quinn assumed to be Quileute. She looked to Jacob but he just continued up the porch, seemingly ignoring Tabitha's words, that is, until the girl said something that must have struck a cord because he stopped dead in his tracks.

He had left her side in an instant and was back in front of Tabitha within the blink of a human eye. She immediately took after him, just as Jacob pushed past Levi and roared at Tabitha, "What the hell did you just say?"

"I said I hope she loses that abominable half-breed child she's carrying." Tabitha spat, eliciting another deeply alarming sound from Jacob. A deep shudder rippled through him and before she knew it….

"Jake, NO!"

"Watch it!"

In the next instant she felt herself getting shoved to the side. She hit the wet grass with a thud, but thankfully had landed on her side and not her stomach. Quil had just lunged for her and spun her out of the way, but the fast motion had thrown them both off their balance and sent them crashing to the ground. Quil was quick to get to his feet, bounding upright in an instant. He took a moment to help her up, where she then turned to see what exactly had happened. Her eyes widened in horror as Quil ran to the side of the unconscious Tabitha, but that wasn't caught attention. At least not at first.

It was the two massive wolves, one jet-black, the other russet brown, tumbling over each other in attempt to overpower the other, that did.

"Jacob!" She lunged forward with a cry, Levi having just slashed at Jacob's nose, leaving it dripping blood, but Quil latched onto her forearm at the last second, preventing her from moving. Her head whipped back to face him while her hand moved to remove his from her arm. She stopped her actions upon noticing the redness of his hand. It was stained with blood. "Quinn, you can't go near them. Not when they're riled up like this." he was explaining, releasing his hand. "Now go get Billy. Tell him to call my dad and explain what happened. I've got to get her to the hospital."

She looked back at Tabitha, who Quil had just scooped up in his arms, and instantly saw the extent of the damage Jacob had caused. A huge claw mark raked through the side of her face, with the blood overflowing. She blanched immediately at the sight and turned to sprint up the porch steps to contact Jacob's father.

"And stay inside!" She faintly heard Quil call after her, another bout of thunder muffling his voice.

She could barely get her words out to Billy she was still so in shock. Thankfully he had been watching all the commotion from the window so by the time she ran inside, he was already wheeling himself toward the telephone. She instantly turned back toward the door, needing to ensure Jacob was alright. She didn't know Levi that well and was unsure as to whether or not he intended on really harming Jacob.

An heavy weight pressed down on her chest as she fumbled to get the door open. When she finally managed to get the damn thing opened, she ran out into the yard, eyes squinting against the heavy rain that obscured her vision. "Jacob?"

She frantically searched through the rain and overall darkness for any sight of him, the light of the full moon overhead barely helping in her endeavor.

"Quinn!" Relief filled her body as her wolf emerged from out of the night and jogged toward her. She automatically opened her arms to embrace him when he was close enough and sighed softly when his body finally came into contact with hers. She breathed his name once more as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. Unbothered by the fact that his wet, and also very naked, body was soaking her dress through, she clung to him as tightly as possible, even as he carried her back inside.

"Fuck, honey, you're soaked." he murmured, pulling back once he realized this.

"And you're hurt." She noticed after she took a step back and saw that his chest and arms were marked up with all degrees of scratches and bites.

"It's okay, they're all healing." He rubbed at one red gash on his left pectoral, which had just been dried blood covering a _now_ nonexistent wound. "See? Now let's get you changed before you catch pneumonia or something."

Nodding her agreement, she followed Jacob into their room and closed the door behind her. When she looked back at him, she noticed he was still naked and though he didn't seem bothered by it, she walked toward his dresser and grabbed him a pair of shorts anyways.

"Here, hon." She turned and handed him his khaki shorts, only to stop when she noticed he was trembling. "Jacob?"

He squeezed his eyes shut, apparently trying to gain some control over himself, and turned his head away. "Hey," She moved back to his side and gently took his face into her hands, enabling her to see that his eyes had blurred with tears. "I'm so sorry." His voice was barely a whisper yet filled with so much pain. "I - I just…"

In attempt to calm the heavy breathing that had his body trembling even more, she started to rub soothing circles on his chest with her hand, knowing how the motion usually helped to calm him. She didn't have to look into his eyes to know that he had been badly shaken up by the night's unfortunate turn of events. "It was an accident."

"I've never lost it like that. _Ever_." he continued shakily. "But she started saying those things about you, and it just started to grate my nerves and I tried to not let her get to me, but then she said that about the baby…" He pressed his forehead against hers, his face pain stricken. "If Quil hadn't pulled you out of the way I would've hurt you too. Then I would've put you both in the hospital." He looked away ashamedly, but she directed his gaze back onto hers.

"But I'm fine, Jacob."

"But Tabitha's not." he said in a voice that sounded tortured, stepping away from her and throwing on the pair of shorts. "She could be dead right now for all we know. Dammit!" He plopped down on the edge of the bed, shaking his head, completely overwhelmed. "I'm supposed to be a protector, not a murderer!"

He looked to her as she joined him on the bed. "What if I lose control again? What if next time it's _you_ I hurt?" His gaze drifted down to her stomach. "What if-"

She shook his head. "Don't do that." She got up and moved so that she sat on his knee. "Don't think like that. You're never going to hurt me, Jacob. Or the baby."

"I used to think the same thing, Quinn. But now…now I've seen first hand that I'm not as in control of my wolf as I thought. I'm a hazard to both of you." He shut his eyes tightly for a moment and she could feel his body tremble hard beneath her. He was back on his feet instantly. "You see what I mean? I'm can't even fuckin' hold myself together anymore. I have to get out of here before I-"

Standing up also, she moved toward him and cupped his face once more without warning and kissed him deeply, both surprising and startling him. His body automatically tensed, not wanting to hurt her, and tried to stop her, but she slapped his hands admonishingly and continued her ministrations. Her hands moved to his chest as she gently pushed him back to sit on the bed, where then she began to whisper words of love and reassurance to her wolf. With every second that passed she could feel her intended effect becoming more noticeable. His trembling had completely subsided after her first few kisses and by now she could sense that he back in control of himself.

Playing with the hairs on the back of his neck, she gave him one last lingering kiss before pulling away. His eyes opened finally, and when he looked at her, she couldn't help but smile.

He nodded at her slightly, the smallest of curves gracing his lips. "Thank you for that. And for having my back earlier." He chuckled at her expression. "I honestly though you were going to break her wrist or something. Knock her out even."

"Well I do have a pretty decent right hook now, thanks to you." she smiled, lightly nudging his chin with her fist. She remembered how, shortly after they got to together, he had taken it upon himself to teach her how to hit properly. She couldn't remember exactly how they came about the subject but she did remember spending an afternoon practicing with him in the forest.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, she refocused her attention back onto Jacob, only to find that his smile had faltered.

"You are many things to me, Jacob Black." she started softly, bringing them back to their previous topic. "But a hazard is _not_ one of them. I will never be any safer than I am when I'm by your side. And no matter what happens, that feeling will _never_ change."

"So you're not afraid of me?" he had to clarify. "Not even after what just happened?"

She shook her head. "I was afraid _for_ you more than anything." she confessed, resting her hands on his shoulders. "You should have seen the way you and Levi looked. I honestly thought he might kill you."

Jacob snorted, clearly not sharing her concern. "Levi's strong, but not as strong as I am. I would've ripped his throat out before he had the chance to really hurt me."

"Could you really do that to him? I mean, he is your pack brother."

"Yeah, I could." he replied honestly. "If he hurt you in any way, yeah. That's probably why Levi phased and went after me when I attacked Tabitha."

"Speaking of which, you should probably go down to the hospital."

He playfully nipped at her bottom lip. "You should get out of that dress."

She stood up from his lap and lightly poked his nose. "Jacob." She walked over to his dresser anyways, uncomfortable with how her dress was clinging to her. She grabbed a clean dress, then looked back at him, "But yeah, the hospital…"

"I honestly don't think that's the best idea." he sighed, standing up and beckoning to her to turn around. She felt him swipe her hair to one shoulder and kiss the back of her neck before starting to help her with her dress. "Tabitha's father would probably shoot me dead on the spot. And Tabitha's mother, well, she'd probably hex me or something."

She glanced at him over her shoulder, eyebrow arched. "I thought you didn't believe in that kind of stuff."

"I don't, well, at least not with Tabitha. But her mother, she's kind of a whole 'nother story. Scary old bat, she is." She turned and swatted his chest. "Hey!"

"That's not a nice thing to say, Jacob." She huffed. "Honestly I thought you said you were taught to respect your elders."

"Have you forgotten who you're talking to, honey?" He laughed, kissing her hair as he finished the last button on her dress. "You know I've never been one to follow the rules."

She laughed despite herself and nodded, pushing down her sleeves and shimmying out of her dress. "Yeah, that much is clear."

She heard a low rumble escape him from behind, prompting her to smile to herself. "Can you hand me my other dress, Jacob?"

"Not if you're going to put it on." She turned and playfully glared at him as she snatched her dress out of his hand.

"I'll just rip it off you." he warned, smiling mischievously as she slipped on her other dress and began to button it.

Shaking her head, she continued with buttoning her dress. As she worked the last buttons, a thought occurred to her. She pursed her lips together, knowing bringing it up might ruin Jacob's mood. But she had to know. "Jacob," She turned around to face him once her dress was completely on. "earlier, what was Tabitha saying in Quileute? I mean, aside from what she said about the baby." He noticeably stiffened.

"Just shit about how I would live to regret my choice and a bunch of cryptic nonsense." He sat back down on the bed and grasped her hips, bringing her along with him. "Don't worry about it."

_Cryptic nonsense? Regret his choice? What did that all mean? _"But-"

"Please, Quinn, it's nothing." He moved around and laid her down on the bed, his body then hovering over hers. "Jacob…"

"I know. I just want to kiss you for a while. I won't try anything more. Promise." He cupped her cheek in one hand while he used the other to prop himself up, his lips instantly melding to hers.

They kissed like that for a long time, pouring out their love for one another through touch, until finally they had to pull away due to lack of oxygen.

"You never fail to take my breath away, Quinn Fabray." Jacob whispered, moving his body to lay next to hers.

"_Black_." she corrected with a smile, rolling onto her side and kissing his lips. "I'm a married woman, remember?"

He hugged her tightly to his body and pressed his lips to her forehead. "That you are."

* * *

They sat silently for a while after that, each of them thinking over the events of the evening. Eventually she decided to tell Jacob about her dream from earlier, figuring it might help to bring a smile back to his face.

"I want it, Jake." she whispered when she finished. "I want that future with you."

"Me too, honey. And we _will_ have it." he added firmly. "I promise."

She then noticed him lift his head off the pillow and glance over at his clock. "Damn," he muttered, reluctantly pushing himself upright. Her brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?"

"I've gotta stop by the hospital." he explained, standing next to their bed. "To gather up the guys. We still have to meet up with the Cullens to discuss the treaty tonight."

"Right." She reluctantly got up as well, dismayed that he had to leave her to convene with a coven of vampires.

"Don't wait up for me, okay?" he spoke, walking into the living room with her, hand in hand. "You need to get as much rest as possible now."

"I practically slept all day, Jacob. I don't think I'll be able to sleep for awhile."

"Still I'm going to patrol after we're done with the Cullens, so I probably won't be back until morning. Quil needs to rest and I imagine Levi's gonna want to get back to the hospital as soon as we're done."

She followed him to the front door and pulled him down to her height for another kiss. She then held onto him for as long as she could. "Just be careful, Jacob."

"I will." he breathed, resting his forehead against hers and reveling in the feeling of her in his arms. He kissed her once more. "Stay inside, alright?"

She nodded and pulled away. He opened the door and jogged down the porch steps, only stopping to turn back around when he realized she had walked out onto the porch. "I thought I told you to stay inside."

She grinned. "You're not the only who doesn't follow the rules, Mr. Black."

He returned her grin as he backtracked across the yard and called, "Love you."

"Love you more!" she called back, waving him off as he retreated into the trees. Once he was out of sight, she sighed, taking a moment to admire the full moon now that the heavy storm clouds no longer obstructed it from clear view. She took that as a sign that the storm had passed, which was good since she didn't like the idea of Jacob having to run around in the harsh rain, but not even that could keep her smile from faltering. Not when the gnawing feeling from last night had returned, only this time much stronger.

Last night she had that feeling and tonight one of Jacob's greatest fears became reality. Now the feeling was back and more disconcerting than ever. Did that mean something of a greater, more horrific, magnitude would happen tomorrow?

Wringing her hands together anxiously, she looked out to the break in the trees longingly, on the verge of tears. Every fiber of her being craved Jacob and his absence only left her feeling more overwhelmed than before. Taking a deep breath, she lowered herself to the ground and clasped her hands together. Closing her eyes, she mouthed the words to her prayers in hope that God would protect her husband and bring him home to her safely.

* * *

**AN: Reviews would be greatly appreciated! **


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: There's a little Glee dialogue in here - not mine just so you know.**

**Anyways, read. enjoy. review!**

* * *

"So what happened next?" Rachel asked almost immediately after Quinn's words drifted off. "He came back right?"

"Yeah, just not in the form I expected." The blonde responded, blinking away the tears that had welled up only to have to swipe at her eyes a moment later. Without thinking, Rachel reached into her purse, which was still down by her feet, and pulled out the package of tissues she always carried around with her. There was no telling when she would need them for an impromptu cry. She handed the package over to Quinn, who took some gratefully. Figuring it best to keep them out, she set the package down on her lap.

While Quinn glanced at her appearance in the rearview mirror, her own gaze fell onto to her house. She wondered if her dads had noticed that Quinn's car had been parked out front for at least an hour already.

It was only about a fifteen minute drive from the store to her house, so when Quinn pulled up and parked, they just decided to stay in the car until Quinn was done talking. Shifting back in her seat, she refocused attention back to the blonde and waited patiently for her to continue.

Quinn fiddled with one of her tissues as she found her voice again. "I did nothing but wait and pray that night. Somewhere along the lines I had fallen back asleep. Everything was fine, peaceful. I was immersed in pleasant dreams about Jacob and I and our future again. In one of the dreams, Jacob was in his wolf form, playing with our child while I looked on. I felt so happy." Quinn smiled tearfully at her, but that upward curve quickly disappeared.

"Then something happened, Jacob took to the ground, howling in agonizing pain. I instantly woke with a start, his pain in the dream afflicting me as if it had been my own. The pain became very real, very fast. It had hit me like a ton of bricks and taken my breath away, leaving me gasping for air. The sharp shooting pain that had centered in my abdomen had been unlike any pain I had ever felt in my life. I screamed for Jacob but he wasn't home yet. It was barely dawn. I scrambled to get out bed and when I threw the sheets back…" Quinn shut her eyes painfully tight and turned her head, away from her.

"There was blood everywhere." her voice cracked, making Rachel's heart clench uncomfortably. "The pain wouldn't stop. And I-I started to hyperventilate. I called for Jacob's father, who lucky for me had already been awake. After he saw the blood, he immediately telephoned Quil's house and told Quil to get Jacob."

"Quil was at the house within minutes," Quinn went on, hiccuping as the tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. Rachel automatically offered her more tissues. "but he said he couldn't find Jacob anywhere, Levi was out in the forest still searching. Jacob wasn't in the pack mind like he was supposed to be. I was in hysterics by then. Quil took me to the hosptial and while he was fast in getting me there, by the time I was in the care of a doctor, I had already known it was too late. That I had lost the baby."

Rachel could feel tears prick the corners of her eyes and sniffled. She hastily grabbed a handful of tissues out of her little packet and wiped her eyes. She tried to keep her composure but it was all too much. She couldn't even fathom going through something as traumatic as _that, _let alone her best friend going through it.

Looking back at Quinn, she found that the blonde had calmed down somewhat. She was no longer sobbing but her eyes showed all the internal pain she was not outwardly expressing.

"Once I was free to leave, Quil drove me back to the house. On the ride home he explained to me that last night everything had gone well with the Cullens, that they had agreed to a treaty. Nothing was out of the ordinary when he and Levi left for home, leaving Jacob to patrol. Quil was about as lost and confused as I was."

"When we reached the house, I had no sooner stepped out of the truck than I had noticed an ordinary wolf lurking around the break in the trees. Quil noticed the wolf too but didn't think anything of it and just told me to ignore it. Problem was that I couldn't. The more I looked at the animal, the more familiar it was to me. It wasn't until I saw its russet brown coloring that something inside me clicked. It was Jacob. This wolf wasn't the same as his werewolf form though, he was obviously much smaller and no human intelligence shone through its eyes, but I was positive it was him."

"I went to him without hesitation," she continued, her voice cracking slightly. "and the wolf actually did the same, trotting up to me with a small whimper. Quil was astounded with what happened and immediately ran inside to get Billy and Levi. I stayed with Jacob outside, running my fingers through his fur and taking comfort in his presence. I figured he couldn't understand the words I spoke to him, but he did seem to understand that I needed him by my side."

"Once he saw Jacob, Billy called the other Council members to convene at the house to discuss the matter. Everyone was at a loss on how this happened. At one point Quil phased and tried to communicate with Jacob, but as I suspected, was unable to. Jacob nearly attacked Quil the second he turned into his wolf self. Even in his new wolf form, Jacob was still very protective of me."

Rachel nodded, faintly thinking back to how Jacob nearly attacked her that day she went running in the woods.

"No one of the Council could figure out how Jacob became a regular wolf. Billy automatically assumed it was Tabitha who was to blame, that this was her getting back at Jacob for what he did to her. But after seeing Jacob, Levi and Quil were quick to realize who was the true cause of all this." Her brow furrowed, prompting Quinn to explain.

"According to them, when Jacob had went to the hospital, Tabitha's mother lashed out at him. The pack literally had to restrain her. She was so furious with him for what he had done to her daughter."

Rachel felt her eyes widen with realization. "Wait, Tabitha's mother did it?" And here she had been so sure it had been Tabitha's doing!

Quinn nodded solemnly as she looked out the car's front window. "Always together, Eternally apart." she murmured. "Of course Jacob hadn't understood the meaning of her words at the time, so he brushed them aside, keeping his focus solely on the pack's meeting with the Cullens."

Rachel clasped her hands over her face, shaking her head with a groan. She could've smacked Jacob right then and there. "If only Jacob had taken Tabitha's mothers' words seriously," she said irately. "then maybe something could have been done or -"

"Even if he had taken her seriously, we still wouldn't have been able to do anything to correct it." Quinn retorted heavily.

Rachel automatically opened her mouth in protest, but saw the tired look in Quinn's eyes and closed it, deciding to just let it alone. She cleared her throat uncomfortably. "So uh, I take when night came around…"

Quinn nodded with a sigh. "The second the sun set I dropped the floor in excruciating pain and next thing I knew it was morning and I was lying naked in the forest."

A sudden tap came to the passenger side window, prompting Rachel to turn and shriek in surprise at the face on the other side. It was her daddy, LeRoy. Quinn chuckled mildly as she rolled down the window. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she informed her father, practically scolding him.

"Sorry honey, but your dad and I were wondering if you two girls ever planned on coming out of the car. Hi, Quinn, sweetie. How are you?" Quinn smiled and blotted her eyes with her tissue, then waved.

"Hi, Mr. Berry. Good, yourself?"

"Wonderful. Hiram and I were planning on ordering take-out. Would you care to join us?"

"Sorry, Mr. Berry," Quinn smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid I can't today. Maybe some other time?" Rachel looked back at her with a slight frown. It wasn't anywhere near sunset.

"Of course. We'll catch you later, sweetheart." Her father straightened up and patted her arm. "I'll see you inside, baby doll."

"I'll be right in." she called after him, watching as his figure retreated back into the house before she shifted back to Quinn, concerned. "You sure you don't want to eat with us?"

"Not today, Rach." Though a little disappointed, she nodded and picked up her purse off the floor. She knew Quinn usually needed to be alone after times like this. She opened the car door and stepped out until she felt her feet hit the concrete.

"Rachel?"

She turned around expectantly, having just taken a moment to smooth out her skirt. "Yeah?"

Quinn looked a little sheepish, maybe even a bit unsure. "If you see Jacob tonight, would you mind telling him something for me?"

"Of course not."

"Just…" The blonde's voice wavered, her breath catching in her throat. It took a minute to compose herself before Quinn could meet her reassuring gaze. "…tell him that I love him, would you?"

Rachel nearly broke down right then and there. The pain in Quinn's eyes was unmistakable, despite the blonde's valiant attempts to mask it, and she could hardly stand to see it.

She absolutely hated knowing her best friend was hurting and being powerless to do anything about it. Quinn was a caring, good-hearted person. Jacob too. They were the best friends anyone could ask for.

They didn't deserve to be suffering the way they were. Not when their hearts were so pure, their love for one another unconditional.

"Rachel?"

Forcing back the smile that had faltered, she pulled herself out of her thoughts and nodded. "Of course I will. Don't you worry." Quinn smiled gratefully and in a soft voice thanked her.

"No problem. Now I should get going. Don't want to keep my dads waiting. I'll see you later!" And like that, she spun around and quickly scurried off toward the privacy of her own home before the tears started back up again.

Heading straight to her room without a word of greeting to her dads, she closed her door and then plopped down on her bed with a heavy sigh. Covering her face with her hands, she inhaled deeply and exhaled, trying to reign in the tears she felt coming on. She did not want to cry. Crying was not productive, nor was it helpful. Her crying was not going to do Quinn and Jacob an ounce of good. But what was?

It was clear as daylight that they couldn't keep living like this. They needed each other. They needed to be able to hold one another, talk to one another, just _be_ with one another.

And as their friend it was her unspoken duty to help them in their time of need. They had given her their friendship and that was more than she could ever ask for. Now it was time she returned the favor.

If only she knew how to go about doing that.

She had no magical powers - she couldn't even do a simple card trick - and no special gifts. (Well, technically her voice was her gift, but unless she could break a curse by singing a song, it didn't count at the moment.)

So how on earth was she going to help her two best friends?

_Well sitting on my butt sure isn't going to help_. Pushing herself off her bed, she walked over to her desk and turned on her computer. She wasn't exactly sure how helpful the internet would be, but hey, it was a start.

One way or another she was going to find a way to break this curse - even if it killed her.

Although she really hoped it didn't. Like, _really_ hoped.

* * *

It had only been a few days since she had started on her new mission and Rachel was already pleased with how things were going. She had about a dozen books on Native American shamanism, folklore, and other related topics being shipped directly to her house via Amazon. Hopefully they would give her some of the answers she was looking for. She had a feeling they would.

Taking her Chemistry book out of her locker, she closed the metal door and began down the hallway. She had yet to tell Quinn of her new quest, or Jacob for that matter, mainly because she was a little unsure of how the blonde would react. She had a feeling her response would be at one end of the spectrum or the other. She would either be incredibly pleased and grateful of her consideration or just downright furious with her.

Rachel was kind of leaning toward the latter as being the more likely reaction.

Sighing heavily, she pushed those thoughts out of her head and continued her pace, only stopping when she spotted Dave Karofsky walking in her direction. She involuntarily shut her eyes and flinched - her body's natural response to seeing the Neanderthal - and waited to be slapped in the face with the beyond freezing, sticky beverage.

But that moment never came.

She immediately opened her eyes to see if maybe another glee clubber had crossed Karofsky's path sooner than she had and taken the hit already, but instead found that the burly jock, who was still coming toward her, didn't even have a slushie in hand.

Relaxing, she continued onward toward her destination, her ballet flats smacking gently against the linoleum floor. When the two of them came to pass by one another in the hall, she noticed he was sporting a bandage over his insanely swollen - and purple - nose. His eyes narrowed in contempt at her prompting her to quickly avert her gaze. It wasn't until she reached her Chemistry classroom that she realized that Karofsky had actually _walked_ past her, not pushed like he usually did, and hadn't insulted her whatsoever.

Had she stumbled upon some alternate universe of some kind? Because that _never_ happened.

Frowning deeply, she took to her usual seat at the front of the class. She was in the process of getting out her notebook out of her bag when Quinn strolled through the door.

"Hey, Rachel." she greeted, taking up residence in the open chair next to hers. It wasn't the blonde's designated seat, but one day Quinn had just decided to change seats and sit with her - no one sat there anyways - and their teacher never bothered to object to it.

"I just walked by Karofsky, sans slushie, and he barely took a second glance at me." she promptly informed her friend. "He didn't even insult me. He _always _insults me. Is it weird that I'm slightly offended? Also have you seen his nose? It looks like a red potato." She pursed her lips together at the sight of the satisfied smile creeping onto Quinn's face, which the blonde was definitely trying to contain. She blinked.

"Quinn," she started slowly. "you didn't have Jacob…"

"Of course not Rachel." She continued to stare at the blonde, disbelieving. Quinn noticed this and scoffed, though that smile still played on her lips. "What? You don't believe me?"

"No."

The blonde playfully glared at her for that remark. "I'll have you know that I don't need my husband to do my dirty work for me."

She stared at Quinn, eyes wide and mouth agape. "You didn't…"

"Karofsky's bullying has _completely_ gotten out of hand." Quinn responded coolly, glancing back at her. "Poor Kurt is at his wit's end. I had to do _something_."

"So you just decided to punch Karofsky…in the face."

Quinn gave a small shrug, turning around to face front when their teacher walked in. "What can I say? Jacob's not the only one with a temperament."

"Clearly but what else did you do?" She leaned forward, curious. She raised her hand when she heard her name being called for attendance, her gaze never wavering from Quinn. "I mean, there's no way one punch from _you_ could have effected him like _that_."

"You'd be surprised at what a strong right hook I have. But you're right, that alone didn't put the fear of God in him. I want to say my yelling did that, but then again it might've been the little chat I had with his mother that did it." Quinn pondered it for a moment before shaking her head. "Either way Karofsky won't be slushying anyone from glee for a while and he most certainly will be staying away from Kurt….well not unless he wants his testicles stapled together."

"Is it weird that I feel the need to bow down to you?"

Quinn chuckled, nodding her head. "Yeah, a little." She raised her hand when her own name was called before looking back at her, suddenly serious. "Rachel, can you promise me something?"

She nodded earnestly. "Can you not mention anything about my confronting Karofsky to Jacob? I mean, I usually don't keep things from him, but he's so protective of me and sometimes he can get carried away. He would freak out if he found out I came near Karofsky in any way, even if it was to tell him off. And as much I dislike Karofsky, I don't want to see him in a casket any time soon."

For a second she thought to laugh, thinking Quinn was joking, but quickly realized the blonde was being completely serious. "Yeah, of course, my lips are sealed." She zipped her lips and acted as though she tossed it away.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Quinn asked her this question during the middle of lunch. First taking a second to finish chewing the piece of apple she'd just taken a bite of, she swallowed and then looked at her blonde companion questionably. "What do you mean? Mentally? Physically?"

"You've just kind of been MIA lately." Quinn replied from across the lunch table they were currently sitting at. "And you've been acting odd - well odder than usual."

She made sure to keep an even tone despite the fact that her heart rate just quickened. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Quinn's eyes narrowed disbelievingly. "You missed school the other day and you have yet to give me an explanation on why."

She shifted uncomfortably - though she hoped it didn't look uncomfortable to Quinn - in her seat and smoothed out her skirt underneath the table. "I already told you that I overslept and by the time I realized what happened, I deemed it pointless to come to school when I'd already missed half my the day."

"For one, the fact that you're having trouble maintaining eye-contact with me is a complete giveaway to the other fact that all that you just said right now was a bunch of crap." She gulped loudly. If there was one thing Quinn didn't like - it was being lied to.

"You _never_ oversleep. I know this because you _always_ set your alarm clock for 6:00 a.m. You also _never_ miss a day of school - for any reason whatsoever. And you certainly don't miss glee practice, especially with a competition so close by."

Rachel felt her shoulders deflate in defeat. Lying was so not her forte. Curse her fathers for always instilling that honesty was always the best policy.

"What's going on Rachel?" Quinn asked, her voice more delicate. "Are you having problems with Finn? Is it Santana? Cause I can certainly talk to her if it is…"

She shook her head. "No. It's not Finn or Santana. The truth is," she paused uncertainly. Maybe she was just making a mountain out of a mole hill. Maybe Quinn would be thrilled with the news of her newfound mission. It was a possibility, right? Of course it was. Helping Quinn - and Jacob - was all she was doing. How could she possibly get mad at her for that?

Having convinced herself that she was overreacting, she relaxed and met Quinn's gaze dead on. "The truth is that I've been adamantly researching for a cure."

"A cure?" Quinn repeated. The blonde then looked at her skeptically. "For…_cancer_?"

"No. No." Shaking her head, she leaned forward and lowered her tone. "A _cure_. You know? For you and Jacob."

Quinn blinked, her face completely unreadable. "What?"

She kept her voice down as she continued. "Ever since you told me that story about how you lost the baby and how the whole curse thing began, I-I just...I can't get it out of my head. I can't take it anymore. You and Jacob can't continue living like this."

She wasn't even directly effected by the curse and she couldn't stand it. She could just see how much the separation was taking a toll on them on the inside. Neither one would ever admit to it but their pain was unmistakable. It showed in their eyes and she could easily detect it in their voice whenever they spoke of one another, of the moments they shared. It was incredibly heartbreaking.

"Well we really don't have a choice in the matter, Rachel." Quinn retorted tersely.

"These past couple of days I've been ruthlessly scouring the internet, searching every library, every database - I've got a a dozen books I bought off of internet that should be coming in the mail any day now. They're all on Native American mythology and magic and witchcraft and all sorts of related stuff that I thought might help us to find a solution. I mean, there has to be a reversal spell or a ritual we can do. I've seen enough episodes of _Charmed_ to know so."

"Rachel, this isn't an episode of _Charmed_. This is real life - not some stupid television show."

Woah. Woah. Woah.

_Charmed is so not stupid! It was a riveting show filled with strong female characters, hunky male leads, butt-kicking action, sensuous romance and humorous dialogue!_ _Not to mention a cool spellbook!_ She almost said this aloud but she didn't want to cause a scene.

"Hello!" she exclaimed comically, slamming her hands down on the table. "Real life is _also_ filled with werewolves, vampires, and magic! Your entire life is living proof of that!"

"You _really_ think Jacob and I haven't tried to figure out some kind of cure? A way to break this stupid curse?" Quinn snapped, her voice dangerously low. "You think we haven't been spending the past _seventy-four _years doing exactly what you're doing? We've got stacks and stacks of books we've gotten over the years - probably the same ones you just bought online - and _nothing_."

The blonde turned her head, clearly trying to keep her composure before she really lost it. Rachel could see the tears welling up in her eyes but they never fell. Quinn looked back at her after taking a moment to breathe and calm down. Her expression softened.

"Look, Rachel, I appreciate you wanting to help us." She reached across the table and took her hand, gently squeezing it. "I really do. It means a lot to me that you care so much." She let go of her hand and stood up. "But save yourself the time and the money. There is no fixing this - no reversing it. What's done is done so please just leave it alone."

She watched as Quinn shouldered her bag and gathered up the last of her lunch, shoving it in the brown paper bag she'd brought. She paused then looked at her again. "Promise me you'll leave it alone?"

"I'm sorry, Quinn." She pushed herself out of her seat and kept an even tone. "But I can't do that." When the blonde raised one eyebrow at her, Rachel raised her shoulders with a sigh. "I'm just being honest with you. I know myself better than you do. I could easily tell you that I'll leave it alone, but I know in a few hours I'll crack and…"

"Fine." Quinn conceded crisply. "I know I can't stop you so I won't even bother trying. But just do me a favor and keep it to yourself. I can't speak for Jacob, so you'll have to talk to him about this yourself, but I don't want to hear about any theories or any findings that you might come across. I just don't. I'll see you later in glee."

Rachel watched Quinn's retreating figure part the crowd of bustling students like the Red Sea until the blonde was completely out of sight. Sighing heavily, she slumped back in her seat.

* * *

"Alright guys," Mr. Schuester spoke, breezing into the choir room and settling everyone down. "As you all are aware, sectionals is just around the corner. Which means it is _imperative_ that we finalize our set list by the end of this week. Now I have already song selections in mind but-"

"Mr. Schuester, you'll be pleased to know that I have already selected the perfect moving ballad for Finn and I to sing to launch our performance at sectionals." She could hear everyone groan behind her but paid them no attention. "And as for my solo -"

"I'm sorry, Rachel," Mr. Schuester calmly interrupted, "but you won't be getting a solo in this competition. Instead I've decided to give it to Santana." She whipped her head around just as Mr. Schuester pointed his dry-erase marker to a surprised Santana.

The Latina raised her eyebrows in surprise. "_Really?_" Brittany leaned forward and gave her best friend a side hug while the others congratulated her.

"Our competition at sectionals are your classic stool choirs. Great voices, but they don't move. Now if we're gonna beat them, we need to do what they can't: dance. Now Santana aside from your killer vocals, you are also one of the best dancers in here. Combine all that with," Mr. Schuester gestured to Mike and Brittany, "Mike and Brittany's killer choreography, and we will have one spectacular performance. Am I right?" He looked to the others, who shared his enthusiasm.

"Damn straight." Santana smirked, obviously pleased with this turn of events.

Rachel, on the other hand, couldn't be more horrified. Her hand shot up in the air a second before she stood up all together. It was one thing to let the others bask in _her_ spotlight during practice but a whole other thing during an actual competition. "Mr. Schuester you can't be serious. Need I remind you that my doing a solo is what won us sectionals last year?" She gaze snapped back to Finn, mentally urging him to do something. Thankfully he seemed to get the message.

"Yeah, Mr. Schue, I'm all about pumping up the team and being a team player but you don't take the star quarterback out right before the big game. Santana's a great singer, don't get me wrong, but Rachel's got the stronger voice. We'll have a better chance at winning if she's singing the solo."

Quinn gave her two cents before Mr. Schuester had a chance to respond. "Rachel, a little versatility wouldn't kill us. Besides, you and Finn are still going to sing a duet. So relax."

"Listen to your lover, Berry." Santana snickered.

"Shut up, Santana." Quinn snapped, glaring back at her.

"That's not what Frankenteen said to me last year." Santana brought up, slowly turning her attention back onto Rachel, her arms crossed. "Back in that motel room."

Rachel uncrossed her arms slowly, confusion washing over her face. "What do you mean?" Her gaze darted to Finn and then darted back to Santana.

"That's right, yentl." Santana smirked. "Your sweetheart, he's been lying to you. 'Cause while you were screwing Jesse, Finnocence and I totally got it on. I popped his man cherry like nobody's business."

Her face fell much like the room's noise level. "You're lying." But she knew damn well that Santana wasn't. Finn looked guiltier than she had ever seen him. Tears started to well up in her eyes. And to think he never planned on telling her about losing his virginity to another girl!

Santana picked at her fingernails, not bothering to look her in the face as she replied. "Actually, I'm not. I never lie about charity work."

At a complete loss on how to respond, she simply gathered up her things and hurriedly walked out of the choir room before she started crying in front of everyone. She'd already been humiliated enough for one day.

Holding her binder to her chest, she pushed onward down the empty hallway, tears blurring her vision and sliding down her cheeks. Her faintly heard footsteps trailing her but she had no desire to pause and see who it was. She just wanted to be left alone for right now.

"Rachel." A hand gently wrapped grasped her elbow, bringing her to a stop. She reluctantly turned around to see Quinn. A small sigh escaped her. She had kind of hoped Finn had been the one to run after her. "No offense Quinn but I really don't feel like talking right now."

"That's okay." Quinn took her hand and continued toward the nearest exit. "I'll just drive you home."

"That really isn't necessary, Quinn. I'm perfectly capable of walking myself home." Finn had taken her to school but needless to say she would not be enlisting in his driving services to take her back home.

Quinn pushed open one of the doors and glanced back at her. "I'm not taking _no_ for an answer, Rachel."

"Fine." She reluctantly allowed the blonde to lead her away from the school and into the student parking lot.

After Quinn unlocked the car doors, they both got slid into their respected side. As Rachel pulled her seatbelt across her chest and clicked it into place, Quinn started up the car. The radio automatically turned on.

"Baby, baby, baby, oooh…." Justin Bieber crooned.

"Dear God, no." Quinn quickly changed the station and connected her ipod to her car charger, shaking her head all the while. "Music today…just no." The blonde handed her ipod to her. "Here, you choose."

Not really caring what they listened to, she pressed shuffle and gently set Quinn's ipod in one of the cup holders.

The drive to her home was quiet, with the exception of Quinn's music and her own sniffling. She was trying valiantly to hold it together until she was in the privacy of her own home but it was easier said than done. She kept wiping at her eyes every few minutes with her sleeve.

They were almost at her house when Quinn spoke up suddenly. "Do you want me to kick his ass?"

Tearing her gaze away from the window, she stared back at the blonde in surprise.

Quinn chuckled at the expression on her face. "What? Isn't that what a best friend would ask?"

She smiled despite herself and shook her head in response to Quinn's previous question. "I'm not sure yet."

"Well let me know."

* * *

Rachel was buried deep under her covers later that evening, a mess of tears and dried mascara. She had cried out her tears hours ago, but had yet to find the will to get out of bed. She suddenly found it though when she heard something unusual on the opposite side of her little cave. Immediately pushing herself upright, she threw back her duvet, fearful for her life. She shrieked slightly, when she glanced over at her window and saw Jacob attempting to climb through her window. "Jacob!" She quickly hopped out of bed and hastily swiped at her eyes and nose, knowing how awful she must look right now. "What are you doing here?"

"Quinn told me what happened." he replied, closing her window behind him. "I wanted to check up on you. Make sure you're alright."

How sweet of him.

"But haven't you ever heard of using a door?" She grumbled, sniffling slightly, and crossing her arms. "I highly doubt my fathers will approve of your sudden presence in their daughter's bedroom."

"What are you talking about?" he chuckled, crossing the room and plopping himself down on the edge of her bed. "Your dads _love_ me. But seriously, about you and Finn-"

"I don't want to talk about _him_." she seethed, now pacing around her room. Jacob opened his mouth to speak but she quickly cut him off.

"Did Quinn tell you that he slept with Santana? Santana! The girl whose been tormenting me for as long as I can remember! Of all the girls he could have chosen to sleep with! Why did it have to be her?" Picking up her beloved Patti LuPone bust, she then heaved it at the wall with all her might, now pissed as hell. Fortunately Jacob acted fast and was able to catch it before it hit the wall and broke.

"I'm so stupid!" she continued, bawling out her hurt and anger. "I should have known better! Santana's everything I'm not. Beautiful, sexy, popular….of course Finn would want her over me."

"Hey," Jacob set her Patti LuPone bust back down on her dresser and walked over to her. "take it easy, Rachel. This isn't your fault."

"Why didn't he tell me? Why couldn't he just come clean and been honest with me? I know we weren't even together when it happened but why did he have to lie about it? He had countless opportunities to tell me! A couple weekends ago we almost had sex and he didn't even bother to say a thing - even when I was rambling on about how special it was going to be to lose our virginity to one another! Not a damn word! It just makes it all so much more worse!"

"He didn't want to hurt you." Jacob calmly explained, prompting her to stare back at him incredulously. He held up his hands. "Hey, I agree with you. He should have just told you the truth. But he was just trying to spare your feelings. He cared too much about you to hurt you like that."

"Well then he shouldn't have ever slept with Santana in the first place. Damn you men and your hormones! If you need to release your sexual frustration, masturbate for Christ's sake!" She glared at Jacob when he bellowed with laughter. "I'm glad my personal life woes amuse you, Jacob." She turned and smacked his arm. "Jerk."

She plopped down on the edge of her bed dejectedly. "Why is it that I keep on getting involved with guys who only end up hurting me in the end?" She clasped her hands on either side of her face and rested her elbows on her knees. "First Finn, then Jesse, and now Finn again!" She covered her face and groaned. "I'm so stupid!"

"You're not stupid, Rachel." Jacob grabbed her by the arms and got her to stand up before pulling her into a comforting hug. He rubbed her back in soothing circles. "You're smart and beautiful. Way more than Santana ever will be."

"You've never even met Santana." she mumbled into his chest, no doubt dampening the fabric of his shirt with her tears. If he had, he would probably singing a whole different tune.

"That doesn't matter." he pulled back and smiled down at her. "The point is that you're an amazing girl. Freakishly short," She playfully glared at him. "but still awesome. You have absolutely no reason to keep comparing yourself to other - less awesome - girls. In the end, Finn chose _you_. Not Santana. She was just a one-night stand. But you, you're the girl he truly wants…and _loves_."

She held his gaze, truly touched by his words and smiled. "You really know how to make a girl feel better, you know that?" She just wished the same could be said about Finn.

Smiling also, Jacob gave a small shrug. "I try."

She beamed, smiling at how cute he was, and before she knew what she was doing, she had pushed herself up onto her toes and pressed her lips to his.

Their lips only touched for a brief moment before Jacob pulled away. She felt her eyes widen with realization as soon as she took in his shocked expression. She immediately jumped back, hands covering her mouth. _Holy shit_. Where the hell had that come from? "Oh my god, Jacob, I'm so sorry! I so did not mean to-"

"I've got to go." he muttered, his expression quickly hardening. He pushed past her without another word and leapt out her window.

The second he was gone, she had the freak out to end all freak outs. Pacing around her room again, she could start to feel herself hyperventilate.

_Oh God. What the hell have I just done?_

* * *

**AN: Thanks for reading and review please!**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Big big thanks to those who reviewed! Means a lot! I actually got out this next chapter pretty fast, surprisingly enough. Still pretty long though. Oh well.**

**Anyways, read. enjoy. review!**

* * *

Oh God.

What was she thinking?

_What_ was she thinking?

What was she _thinking_?

She _wasn't_ thinking - that was the problem. She had acted on impulse. A tendency she often exhibited when overly emotional. Just like when she reported the old glee instructor, Mr. Ryerson, for sexual misconduct with a student because he had given away _her_ solo. Or, more recently, when she sent her competition to a crack-house because…well…because frankly that Sunshine girl was much too talented for her liking and was also significantly shorter than she was.

And if it was one thing that unnerved her most, it was people shorter than she was.

Exhaling shakily, Rachel reverted back to pacing around her room - no doubt wearing down the carpet with her constant movement though not that she cared.

Out of all the things she had hoped _never_ to add to that growing list of impulsive actions, it had to be the very thing she had done tonight: kiss her best friend's husband.

Not her crush, not her boyfriend, her _husband_.

Now she wasn't an expert on the 'Girl Code', but she was pretty damn sure kissing your best friend's guy was breaking rule number one.

Quinn was, without a doubt, going to murder her when she found out. Plain and simple. Come tomorrow her body was probably going to be buried six feet under somewhere out in the woods.

Pushing her body against one of the walls and sliding down it, she brought her knees closer to her chest and inwardly groaned, then thumped her head against her kneecap.

Sixteen years. It had taken her sixteen years to attain a friend, let alone a _best_ friend, and now, within a matter of hours, she was going to be friendless once more.

How could she do such a thing to Quinn? The blonde had been nothing but good to her their entire friendship. Hell she did things that not even Finn did. Like sticking up for her when Santana was being mean or reprimanding Jacob Ben Israel when he was being a pervert or helping her get cleaned up whenever she received a slushie facial from those Neanderthal jocks.

She could start saying goodbye to all those perks of having a friend now because there was no way Quinn was going to want to remain friends with her after Jacob tells her what happened.

That is, _if _Jacob does tell her. Would he, really?

What is she thinking? Of course he would.

But then again maybe he would want to spare Quinn's feelings, like Finn presumably tried to with _her_ by not disclosing the information of his little tryst with Santana.

No. Jacob wasn't Finn (He most certainly was not). And if it was one thing that Jacob and Quinn were - it was honest with one another. _Always_.

Which, while great for them, was pretty bad for her.

* * *

Every step closer to school was a step closer to her execution. Or so it felt. Rachel had seriously considered feigning illness in order for her dads to allow her to stay home, but she knew that would just be delaying the inevitable for a day. It would be best to just get it over and done with now. Swallowing hard, she walked through the hallways of McKinley like a jittery chihuahua, eyes darting back and forth for any sight of the blonde soon to be responsible for her demise.

She honestly felt like she was going to be sick.

Quickening her pace, she maneuvered through the crowd of students with pursed lips and scurried into the nearest girl's restroom. It was empty for the most part, with the exception of a red-headed Cheerio leisurely touching up her makeup at the farthest sink on the end. Grimacing slightly at the thought of hurling in the presence of another girl, let alone a Cheerio, she balanced her books on the edge of one of the sinks and instead focused on her reflection in the mirror. Maybe a few breathing exercises would help to calm her nerves and keep her breakfast down. They almost always helped whenever she got a case of pre-performance jitters. But unfortunately she didn't get the chance to reap the benefits of said techniques because at the precise moment she took her first deep inhale, the door to the bathroom swung wide open.

Her head snapped from her reflection instantly and, just like that, her stomach dropped down to her feet. "Quinn."

The usual warmth that filled the blonde's eyes was all but nonexistent now and instead was replaced by a cold penetrating gaze that would intimidate even Santana.

"You. Out."

Before she could even process a reaction to Quinn's demand, the Cheerio behind her scrambled to gather up her things, where then she hurried past them and promptly exited the bathroom without so much as a second glance.

Rachel blinked. In all her years, she had _never_ seen a Cheerio flee like that, at least not from the command of someone other than Coach Sylvester or Santana.

It was deeply unnerving, to say the least.

Swallowing heavily, she mustered up enough courage to meet the blonde's unwavering gaze, only to wish a second later that she hadn't. Although Quinn's eyes had welled with tears, the expression on her face remained as severe as ever.

"Tell me it's not true."

Rachel had to hold back her own tears then. "Quinn," she started shakily, holding up her hands defensively. "Listen-"

_Slap_.

Her hand automatically flew to her - now stinging - cheek, with a gape directed at the blonde. Granted her being slapped in the face wasn't exactly unwarranted, but still…_Ow_.

"How could you, Rachel?" Quinn whispered brokenly, her expression crumbling. The tears they had struggled to contain came unbidden for them both in that moment.

"It was a mistake," she was quick to assure, taking a step forward to her, eyes pleading. "I wasn't…"

Her words fell flat as Quinn spoke up, her voice unbearably small and uneven. "You kissed him, Rachel."

The stinging sensation left from the slap was nothing compared to the one she felt now. Forcing back the fresh wave of tears that threatened to break through, she nodded guiltily. "I know and I've never regretted anything more. I-"

"Save it, Rachel." Quinn harshly interjected, her voice no longer broken and eyes blazing once again. "I'm done. _We're_ done."

She felt her throat begin to burn with the effort of holding back her own sobs. She reached out to the blonde only to have her recoil. "Quinn, please let me explain-"

"Did you or did you not kiss Jacob?"

"I did but-"

"Then there's nothing left to explain." Quinn retorted. "So just…" she faltered for a split second before stating resolutely, "Just stay away from me, Rachel. Stay away from the _both_ of us."

And with that, Quinn turned on her heel and exited the bathroom, leaving Rachel alone.

* * *

She didn't expect to see the blonde for the rest of the school day, nor did she. She figured as much, seeing as how she probably would have left the campus immediately after their little bathroom confrontation if she were in Quinn's shoes. Still, that didn't keep her from sending apologetic text after text throughout the day or making phone call after phone call whenever she had a moment to spare.

Though now she kind of wished she hadn't. She probably just made Quinn even more annoyed with her than she already was. And she had a feeling that what she was about to do next wasn't exactly going to help her cause with the blonde.

Pulling up to Quinn and Jacob's house, she killed the ignition on her car and lingered for a moment in her seat. Quinn would probably murder her if she found out she was here, but since she couldn't get through to the blonde, she had to at least try with Jacob.

She owed him as much of an apology as she did Quinn.

Shivering from the crisp night air, she jogged up the front porch as soon as she got out of her car. She made a mental reminder to get her winter coats out of the garage later.

After catching a glimpse of the light coming from inside the house, she knocked on the door and waited.

Nothing.

Pursing her lips together, she knocked a few more times and resumed her waiting.

Still nothing.

This time knocking on the door _and_ ringing the doorbell, she took a step back and began shifting her weight back and forth to keep warm. She tightly wrapped her arms around herself and exhaled, her breath very much visible in this cold.

After waiting for what seemed like ever, the door opened - much to her relief - and there Jacob stood, looking as inhospitable as she had ever seen him.

"What do you want Rachel?"

"I came here to apologize." she promptly informed him, figuring it best to get to the point before he slammed the door in her face. Her chin slightly trembled from the chill. "What I did was completely out of line."

"Completely." he agreed.

She nodded. "I sometimes have a tendency to do things on impulse and unfortunately kissing you had been one of those moments."

He looked cynical. "Good to know, though you might have given me a head's up on that."

"I wasn't thinking, Jacob." she explained, her eyes shutting at the painful memory of her mistake. "I was hurt and you were there and comforting me -"

"As a _friend_." he clarified with a glower.

She cringed slightly and nodded. "I know that." He honestly looked like he might hit something and since she was the only one around…

"You hurt her, Rachel." he responded, his usually warm and friendly eyes as heated and intense as Quinn's had been earlier. "More than you even realize. She trusted you and you betrayed that trust in the worst possible way. Not only that but now she thinks I don't love her."

Her eyes widened in shock. She hadn't expected _that_. "What? How? I mean, you did tell her that _I_ kissed _you_, right? You didn't kiss me back."

"I know I didn't." he replied with heavy frustration. "But it still happened."

"Well, I've tried talking to her, but she won't listen to anything I have to say. I've tried calling and texting but she won't even acknowledge them."

Not that she blamed Quinn - she had every right to ignore her - but it still hurt.

Jacob didn't sound surprised. "Just give her space, Rachel. She's angry now. Devastated. And when she's like that, she has a tendency to lash out and say things she doesn't really mean. And despite the fact that you hurt her, I know she doesn't want to hurt you back."

She scoffed bitterly, thinking back to the girl's restroom earlier. "Did she happen to mention in that journal of yours that she _slapped_ me earlier?"

She was still feeling the sting.

He nodded. "Yeah, she did. And she feels awful about it despite everything. Frankly, I'm surprised that's all she did. If I were her, I would have at least broken your nose."

Frowning deeply, her arms crossing over her chest and snapped, "Thanks. And you know, you should've just kept your mouth shut."

Jacob's eyes flashed and automatically she realized what she had just said.

"I don't lie to her, Rachel." he spoke seriously, his expression hardening. "I don't keep things from her either. Never have and never intend to."

She nodded understandingly, really wishing she hadn't said that. It made her sound like Finn, which is definitely not who she wanted to sound like. "That was a stupid thing of me to say, Jacob. I'm sorry."

"You might be okay with lying, with keeping secrets, but I'm _not_."

"I'm not either." she retorted. "I just…I wish this whole thing never had happened! I wish I could just take it back! I don't even like you in that way!"

He shot her a disbelieving look, prompting her to concede. "Okay," She rolled her eyes with a sigh. "You're attractive yes, but if I hadn't been so upset over Finn and Santana I never would have made a move on you! I just….argh!" Storming to the front steps, she sat down and buried her face in her hands. Why did she have to be such a screw up? She had something perfectly wonderful going for her and she completely ruined it!

"I'm the worst person in the world." she cried, her voice slightly muffled by her hands. "No wonder people hate me."

"Rachel…" She heard him take a seat next to her. She instantly lifted her head from her hands and stopped him right there. "Don't Jacob. I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"I wasn't going to give it."

She looked back at him and faltered. "Oh."

"Look, Rachel you fucked up. You know it and I know it. We both know the kiss didn't mean anything and we can agree that it was a mistake we wished never happened." She nodded wholeheartedly. "But don't think that I, or Quinn, hate you. Cause we don't. Yes, our trust in you been shaken, but that doesn't mean your cause is entirely lost."

"But that doesn't mean that we can forgive you just like that either." he added when he saw the bright look in her eyes. "Cause, forgiveness doesn't mean accepting someone's apology. It means understanding fully that a person made a mistake but is worthy of a second chance."

"And while we're aware that you made a mistake, it's the question of whether or not you deserve a second chance that we're undecided about."

Promptly standing up again, she moved in front of Jacob so that he could see the full sincerity that came with her next words. "Jacob, I swear to you that I will never do something like this ever again. I guarantee I will _never_ hurt you, or Quinn, like this again."

"You can't guarantee something like that, Rachel."

Her shoulders deflated after a moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just wish Quinn would hear me out." She turned and kicked at the ground stubbornly.

"Once she simmers down I'm sure she will." he replied, pushing himself upright. "But for now, you _need_ to give us our space. We need time to ourselves to think things over. You understand, right?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Good. And with that being said," he hesitated before saying delicately, "I don't think you should drop by here anymore."

Again she nodded. "Understandable, but wait!" The hand that was about to wrap around the doorknob stopped. "I have something else to tell you."

"Don't tell me you kissed Quinn too." he said, turning back around to face her with a playful groan.

"Don't be ridiculous." She scoffed, though her cheeks did flush a little. "I just, well I don't know if Quinn already told you, but as of late, I have been adamantly searching for a way to break yours and Quinn's curse."

Jacob's expression changed - though for the good or bad she did not know. "Oh."

"Yeah, Quinn wasn't too happy about it when I told her." she recalled softly. "But I understand why, seeing as how you guys have been looking for a cure for like, _ever_. Anyways, I just thought you should know. I meant to tell you last night, but obviously I didn't get a chance to."

"Rachel," She lifted her gaze in time to see him grimace. "As much as I appreciate what you're doing, you're wasting your time. There is no cure. No way to break the curse. If there had been, don't you think we would've already found it?"

"Not necessarily." she replied, shaking her head. "Maybe you haven't been searching through the right sources or -"

"Rachel," he interrupted sharply, probably sharper than he intended. "Just stop."

"Maybe it would help if you told me exactly what Tabitha's mother said to you in that hospital." she continued as if he had said nothing. "Maybe her exact words could give us a clue as to how to break the curse."

"I doubt it, Rachel." Jacob turned back around and reached for the door again, but again she stopped him.

"Please, Jacob?"

"As long as the sun rises and sets, as long as there is day and night, and for as long as you both shall live. Always together, eternally apart." he recited bitterly before turning on her. "Now can I go?"

"But wait- OH MY GOD!" She shrieked when she suddenly felt something swoop down and land on her head. "GET HER OFF! GET HER OFF!"

"Relax, Rachel." Jacob advised, though it was clear he was surprising a chuckle. She scowled. "She's not going to hurt you, you know that."

Cringing, she waved her hands in a panicky manner, not at all convinced that the small owl now perched atop of her head would not try to harm her. "Jacob, take her." she whined. "Please."

"Fine." He laughed. She watched as he held out his arm and beckoned to Quinn. "C'mon honey."

To her horror the bird did not move. "Jacob!"

"Hey, it's not my fault she's not listening to me." he smirked. "She can be very stubborn when she wants to be."

"I'm well aware of that, Jacob, so do something! Anything!" She tried not to make any sudden movements - as she didn't want Quinn to pull out any of her hair with those claws of hers - but found it increasingly difficult to do so.

"Hold out your arm, Rachel." Jacob suggested after failing a second time to get Quinn to come to him.

"But I don't want her!" she exclaimed. God this must be her punishment for kissing Jacob!

"Would you rather have her on your arm or your head?"

"Fine." She huffed, then shakily extending her right arm in front of her. "Now what?"

"Call to her." Jacob responded, still obviously enjoying her state of discomfort to which she glared at him for.

"Quinn." she called out timidly, her head tilting back as her eyes lifted upward. "Please get off my head and go to my arm. I promise it's way more comfortable."

Jacob snorted, but then raised his eyebrows in surprise when Quinn actually flew to rest on her arm. She breathed out a small sigh of relief, despite the fact that Quinn's talons were kind of digging into her skin, and thanked the small bird.

"Now go to Jacob." She frowned when Quinn didn't move, then added, "Please?"

"Maybe you should apologize to her for kissing me." Jacob suggested. "See if that works."

"Of course." She looked to the owl on her arm but was cautious of making direct eye-contact (She had heard that animals didn't like that). "Quinn, I am truly sorry for kissing your husband. It was a stupid mistake that will never happen again, I promise you. I only hope that one day you can find it in your heart forgive me."

God, did she feel like a lunatic for talking to an animal like it was a person, or what?

Sighing, she cautiously raised her hand and gently stroked the bird's feathers, only to cry out a second later and drop her arm. "OW!"

"What?" Jacob inquired just as Quinn flew to his shoulder.

"She totally just bit me!" she exclaimed in horror, shoving her - now very red - index finger in his face.

He looked at it then chuckled at her. "That's probably just her way of saying apology _not_ accepted."

Taking back her finger, which had started already to bleed, she began to panic. "Oh God, I'm going to need a rabies shot, aren't I? Or a tetanus shot? I'm going to need both aren't I?"

"Rachel-"

"I have to get the hospital right away! I cannot die at sixteen! Bye Jacob!" Spinning on her heel, she bolted for her car while she held onto her finger.

This was _exactly_ why she didn't like birds!

Thankfully she was able to receive a tetanus shot before anything truly life threatening had happened to her. But boy had it been a close one! She hadn't felt so scared since that time she contracted laryngitis. _I am so staying away from all animals now!_ She had thought on her drive home from the hospital.

She wasn't going to have another mishap like that ever again, not if she could help it.

_How dare Quinn slap me __**and **__bite me all in the same day! _She huffed on her way to her front door, her injured finger now professionally wrapped in a bandage. After she unlocked the door and stepped into the warmth of her home, another thought came to mind.

_I really ought to write a song about this experience_.

* * *

Over the next couple days, school seemed to drag by. What with Quinn avoiding her like the plague and her no longer on speaking terms with Finn, she was pretty much back to her old lonesome ways. And though she sat with her fellow glee clubbers at lunch, she had a feeling they only bothered to make an effort with including her in their conversations was out of pity. Not just because of what went down with Finn and Santana, but because it was clear that she and Quinn were no longer the friends that they once were.

"It was only a matter of time, Berry." Santana once told her after catching her staring at Quinn during rehearsal. "Girls like _that_ don't befriend losers like _you_. It's like, a scientific fact that hot girls have a substantially lower amount of tolerance for annoying hobbits such as yourself than the average person. I'm still amazed homegirl has her sanity intact."

Rolling her eyes at the memory, Rachel pushed the Latina's words out of her head and continued walking toward her destination. It being the middle of lunch, the hallways were relatively empty with the exception of those who opted not to join their fellow classmates in the cafeteria or out on the quad. Namely the stoners and heavy metal goths.

She was on her way to the auditorium - the choir room was currently occupied by Mike and Brittany who were rehearsing their sectionals choreography - to practice a few solos that could potentially be candidates for regionals.

She knew it was a bit early to be thinking about regionals, considering they had yet to compete at sectionals, but since she was not going to be featured in said competition, she needed something to fill her extra time with.

Lost in her thoughts of regionals, she rounded the corner leading to the auditorium and pressed onward. It wasn't until she neared the door that she realized music was being played from inside. Frowning, she pulled the door open and stepped through the doorway. She brought the door along with her to avoid any loud door closing.

The music that filled her ears was a tender, haunting melody that evoked the hairs on her arms to stand on end. After she recovered from the shiver that had run down her spine, she cautiously stepped out of the shadows and walked down the aisle toward the stage.

She hadn't taken more than two steps before she realized the music was coming from Quinn, who sat on stage at the piano - completely oblivious to her presence.

Pursing her lips together unsurely, she glanced back at the door then at the stage again. Part of her urged her to leave before the blonde became aware of her being there, while another part of her advised that she stay and confront the girl. Make the blonde hear her out then properly apologize to her.

Hopefully without getting slapped again.

Swallowing hard, Rachel went with her gut feeling and continued down the aisle toward the stage slowly. She didn't know how to call attention to herself without startling or aggravating Quinn. It would be more than creepy if she just appeared at the blonde's side on stage and it would be completely rude of her to interrupt her playing. Upon this realization, she stopped and lingered awkwardly in the aisle, where she waited for Quinn to finish her piece.

Mesmerized by its beauty, Rachel began to wonder if it was original piece or just music she was unfamiliar with. She had a feeling it was the former.

The music stopped shortly thereafter, but the notes hung in the air like an echo. Rachel had to suppress another shiver.

She waited for a moment before speaking. "That was beautiful, Quinn."

She watched with a gulp as the blonde's head snapped toward her, green eyes flashing. She smiled weakly when Quinn gave a curt nod. "Thank you." Her voice was pleasant, but the expression in her eyes belied her tone.

Wordlessly Quinn stood from the bench and proceeded to gather up her things, prompting Rachel to speak up once more. "Quinn, please. Wait. We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about, Rachel." The blonde responded coolly, tucking her sheet music into her folder before shouldering her bag.

"I'd have to disagree." she replied, bounding up the steps leading to the stage before Quinn had the chance to leave. "Quinn, you have no idea how sorry I am-"

Quinn shrugged her elbow out of her grasp when Rachel had reached for her to prevent her from walking away. "Saying sorry isn't going to make what you did okay, Rachel."

"I-I know that." She jumped back a step when Quinn moved forward.

"Tell me was this all apart of your grand plan?" Quinn inquired. "Gain my trust so you could get closer to Jacob?"

"What, no! Of course not! I just wanted to be your friend!"

"Some friend." Quinn scoffed, tears starting to blur her vision. She turned her head to take a second to contain them before staring back at her. "I gave you my trust, Rachel I let you in. We _both_ did. And you stabbed me in the back. You did the one thing that would hurt me most of all."

Rachel shut her eyes painfully tight in hope of pushing back her own tears. When she opened them the tears spilled forth anyways. "Quinn, I never meant to hurt you like this."

"You basically threw in my face what I can no longer do, Rachel. I will never be able to kiss my own husband ever again and knowing that, you still went behind my back and kissed him! Though I'm sure Jacob loved it. I mean why wouldn't he? The last kiss he had was nearly seventy-five years ago. Look, Rachel if you truly want to be with him and he wants to be with you, I won't hold you two back. He deserves more, so much more than this life we've been stuck in. You can give him what I can no longer."

"Quinn, you're being absurd!" She couldn't believe Quinn was talking like this! "I _don't_ want Jacob. He doesn't want me! Quinn, I may have kissed him but he did _not_ kiss me back. I swear to you that he loves you and _only_ you. He will _always_ love you. You will always have his heart. And despite being in this terrible predicament, that will _never_ change. His love will _never_ fade. I mean, you should see how his eyes light up whenever I mention your name or how his voice is filled with nothing but affection and adoration when he talks about you. He doesn't see anyone except _you_."

"This whole thing is my fault." Quinn continued brokenly. "If I had never come to Forks, I never would have met him, then I never would have been able to ruin his life."

She grabbed Quinn's arms, forcing the blonde to meet gaze and listen to her next words. "You did _not_ ruin his life, Quinn. You're his soul mate and if you had never come into his life, he never would have known true love. And even if you hadn't come to Forks, you would have met and fallen in love some other way because you two were meant for each other, you two were _meant_ to be together."

Shakily, Quinn stepped away from her touch, indicating to Rachel that the blonde was not quite ready to forgive and forget despite her reassuring words. She sniffled at that, another silent wave of tears streaming down her cheeks. "Look, Quinn, I can handle a lot of things. Being an outcast, having no boyfriend, slushie facials everyday, glee club hating me, but what I can't handle is _you_ hating me. I just can't."

"Then why did you kiss him?"

"I was upset Finn and Santana." she replied, completely ashamed. "And Jacob was there trying to comforting me and being his usual nice self. I just wasn't thinking. And if I had, I never would have done it. It was a complete mistake and I'm so sorry for it."

"For the record, I didn't know about Finn and Santana sleeping together." Quinn murmured with a sniffle. "I was just as surprised as you were."

The blonde then chuckled humorlessly, tears welling up in her eyes again. She looked back at Rachel's face. "You know what thoughts were running through my mind when I drove you home that day?"

Rachel shook her head.

"I have to go to the store and get some vegan ice cream." Quinn answered bitterly, shaking her head as her voice cracked. "I have to go get all of her favorite movies and buy tons of chocolate. In my head I'm thinking of all the ways girls on television shows and in movies handle cheering up their best friends. Then I'm thinking, we should key Finn's truck or tee-pee it or something if Rachel's really mad. Maybe take a baseball bat to his truck."

"So what do I do? As soon as I dropped you off at your house, I went to the store and got all those things. I figured maybe I could get you play hooky from school the following day and just hang out at my house instead, because I knew you wouldn't want to be in any space where Finn or Santana were."

Quinn's eyes flashed heatedly. "I felt like such an idiot when I read Jacob's entry the next morning. I should have known better." She then corrected herself. "I _did_ know better but I talked myself into trusting you because I _wanted_ to be your friend. I _really_ did. And not because I felt bad for you, but because I thought you were a genuinely good person who didn't deserve to be as alone as she was."

"Quinn, what happened with me and Jacob will _never_ happen again." she assured firmly. "I acted without thinking and made a mistake. Please, just give me a second chance. I don't want our friendship to go out like this." She couldn't allow it to.

She looked to Quinn pleadingly but the blonde averted her gaze. "Look, Rachel. The only reason I'm still here is because glee needs twelve members to compete at sectionals. I wouldn't just leave the group a member short days away from competition." Her brow furrowed in confusion, unsure of what Quinn was getting at.

"But once sectionals is over and done with, Jacob and I are leaving Lima. For good."

Her heart stopped. It literally stopped. "Quinn, no." Her voice came out like a strangled whimper.

The blonde nodded solemnly. "I should have listened to my instincts a long time ago and left when I had intended."

"But regionals…Quinn, we _need_ you."

"I'll be sure to speak to Mr. Schuester about my resignation from the club as soon as sectionals is done. I'm sure you guys will be able to find someone to replace me from then until regionals."

_No we won't_! She almost cried. Shaking her head, Rachel's hands moved to her hips. "And what does Jacob think about this? He's onboard with moving?"

"You not only betrayed _my_ trust, Rachel, but you betrayed his too. And while he thinks we should stay a little while longer-" _Yes, stay a little longer! _"He understands that I can't stay here any longer."

"But Quinn please, _reconsider_." She was honestly _this _close to getting on her knees and full out begging. "I'll do anything you want, Quinn. _Anything_. Just name it and it'll be done."

"You don't get it, Rachel." Quinn snapped at her, shaking her head. "Every time I look at you - even now as we're speaking - _all_ I can picture is you kissing him."

She grimaced. She was well aware of the feeling Quinn spoke of. Every time she so much as looked Finn's way, all she could picture was him with Santana.

Blinking away tears, her gaze dropped to the ground. She was completely at a loss. She could apologize until her voice gave out but Quinn was right, it wouldn't make things any better.

"I'll see you around, Rachel." Quinn muttered, her voice breaking the heavy silence between them.

Rachel lifted her head and just watched the blonde's figure disappear into the wings because, for once, she didn't have the words to stop her.

* * *

Sectionals came and went and like Rachel predicted, the New Directions won. Two years in a row they had triumphed. Now it was only a matter of conquering Regionals, and defeating the formidable Dalton Academy Warblers, that they then would secure their much deserved place at Nationals in New York.

Sectionals had been a tense environment, to say the least. Quinn no longer acknowledged her existence anymore - not that Rachel was surprised since she had done the unthinkable to her (now ex) best friend - while both Artie and Tina refused to perform because they had believed their significant others, Brittany and Mike, to be having an affair.

At one point she also refused to take the stage after learning Finn had not only lied to her about being a virgin, but that apparently _everyone_ else, well except Quinn, had known about his little rendezvous with Santana yet no one had even bothered to tell her. It was beyond mortifying.

Winter break immediately followed sectionals, their last school day being the Friday before their competition. This holiday season was her loneliest by far. With no friends or boyfriend - she had officially broken up with Finn after sectionals - to occupy her time with, she was left with only her dads and her _Funny Girl _dvd to keep her company.

On occasion Finn stopped by her house in attempt to win her back and while she admired his efforts, she still couldn't look at him without picturing Santana. That was the main reason why the duet she and Finn were originally supposed to sing at sectionals was changed into another group number. She couldn't sing a ballad to Finn and have it be even remotely believable.

She just couldn't.

What she needed was time to herself before she could even begin to trust him let alone start dating him again. She also needed time to pluck up the courage to tell him about her kiss with Jacob. She had planned to do it over the break on several occasions, but always chickened out at the last minute. Which was horrible of her, she knew, because he deserved to know he wasn't the only one at fault.

She just couldn't bear to have him hate her too.

Quinn's absence had not gone unnoticed in glee once school started back up again in January. A few assumed that she had just not returned from vacation yet or that she had simply gotten sick over the holiday. Rachel only wished that was the reason for her absence.

She shifted uncomfortably in her front row seat when Mr. Schuester brought up the matter and broke the news to the others that Quinn had given him her resignation from the club after sectionals.

"She had to move due to some family problems," he explained, "and unfortunately isn't expected to return, at least not anytime soon."

In true glee fashion, the group freaked out - of course not because Quinn was their dearest friend who left without so much as a goodbye - but because without her they were down to eleven members. In order to even compete at regionals they needed at _least_ twelve.

"Which leads me to our first assignment of the new year: finding someone to take her place."

Rachel had to fight back voicing the objection that balanced on the tip of her tongue. Mr. Schuester was seriously delusional if he seriously thought they were going to be able to find a replacement this far into the year.

No one wanted to be in glee. It had been that way in September when they first held auditions and it would remain that way now. And while they had lucked out with getting Sam to fill the vacancy left by Matt, it was highly unlikely that lightning would strike twice for the New Directions in the same school year. Call her a pessimist all of a sudden but she did not like the idea of someone taking Quinn's place. She just didn't.

Since it was only the first day back, their glee rehearsal - which today was more like just a meeting - ended relatively early. On any other given day she probably would have protested against such a thing and insisted the group actually _rehearse_ but today she wasn't in much of a mood to sing or dance. Or deal with her fellow glee clubbers at all for that matter.

She just wanted to go home and sulk some more, maybe continue researching a way to break that damn curse - though her attempts were still proving futile. Despite the fact that Quinn and Jacob were out of her life for good now, she just couldn't bring herself to throw in the towel.

At least not yet.

"Slow your roll, hobbit."

Stopping in the middle of the hallway, Rachel turned around at the unexpected sound of Santana's voice breaking through her thoughts. Her brow further furrowed in confusion when she saw that it was not only Santana who had been trailing her, but the rest of the glee girls and Kurt.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked them all cautiously. She had the sinking feeling she needed to flee before someone pounced on her.

"We want to know what you did to Quinn." Mercedes spoke up, hands on hips.

She swallowed and averted her eyes so quickly that no one would hopefully notice. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb, man hands." She pursed her lips into a firm line, having never quite understood how that particular name came about. She hardly considered her hands to be mannish. But to be sure, she cast another quick glance down at her hands.

Yeah, no man hands whatsoever.

"One minute you and Quinn are like best of buds and the next she's avoiding you like the plague that you are." Santana continued, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "And now Mr. Schue says that she _moved_?"

Tina crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight onto her other leg. "Twenty bucks says it's on account of _you_."

"Yeah, you're right." she murmured with a nod. "It is my fault."

"You do realize that her leaving screws us over for regionals, right?" Apparently Kurt had about as much optimism of them finding a new member as she did.

"I'm well aware, Kurt." _Well aware_.

"So we repeat," She couldn't help but wince at Santana's tone. "What. Did. You. Do?"

"She kissed a boy named Jacob." Brittany supplied from out of nowhere, promptly everyone's heads to turn toward her. All of their faces, minus herself and Brittany's, screwed up in disgust, as the only Jacob they knew of being Jacob Ben Israel - the school pervert.

"You have such a weird taste in guys, Rachel." Tina commented, her nose still scrunched up in distaste.

"Not Jewfro Jacob," she quickly clarified, slightly gagging at the mere thought of kissing _him_. Her attention fell back onto the tall blonde at Santana's side. "Brittany, how did you even know about that?"

"I was in one of the bathroom stalls when Quinn slapped you back before winter break." Brittany explained. "I got stuck to the toilet." Rachel frowned.

"Wait, what?" Santana whipped around so fast, her ponytail hit Mercedes square in the face, much to the girl's displeasure. "Quinn Fabray actually slapped _you_?"

She scowled at the impressed smirk playing on Santana's lips.

"She was straight up bitch slapped." Brittany lamented.

Rachel watched as the Latina's smirk suddenly faded into a disappointed pout. "Damn." Santana turned to her best friend, upset she had missed seeing such a thing. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner, Britt?"

Brittany shrugged. "You didn't ask." Usually Santana rolled her eyes at a moment like that, but since it was Brittany, she refrained from doing so.

"What does it matter Santana?" Rachel interrupted, mildly aggravated.

Santana turned on her, and for a split second she regretted opening her mouth at all. "If I had known about this whole bitch slapping business earlier, gnome, I would've had the chance to bake that girl a fuckin' cake before she left. 'Cause any girl who slaps _you_ in the face deserves some serious praise."

Brittany smiled with a nod. "And what better way to show praise than in the form of a delicious cake?"

"Anyways," Mercedes cast the two Cheerios a questioning glance before refocusing her attention on Rachel. "What exactly did you do to make baby girl slap you?"

"Yeah and who is this Jacob guy?" Kurt questioned, mildly intrigued.

Rachel exhaled deeply. "The reason Quinn slapped me is because I kissed her boyfriend, Jacob."

She might as well have said she just murdered someone, she would have gotten the same response.

"I-I was distraught from finding out about you and Finn." she hastily explained before Santana could demand more clarification. "And Jacob, who's also a good friend of mine, well, he came over and tried to comfort me and I wasn't thinking and I just…kissed him. He didn't kiss me back, but of course he told Quinn and she subsequently broke off our friendship. Now they both hate me."

"And they have ever right to." Tina responded, shaking her head in contempt.

"Damn straight." Mercedes agreed. "How could you do such a thing, Rachel? That girl was your only friend and you stabbed her in the back, and for what? To get back at Finn for a hook up that happened last year when you two weren't even together?"

Santana nodded. "That's fucked up and that's coming from me."

"You started this whole thing!" she exclaimed frustrated at the Latina. "This is all your fault!"

Santana scoffed her disagreement. "Hey, don't look at me. I didn't tell you to go play tonsil hockey with your bestie's guy."

She scowled. She hated when Santana had a point.

"Honestly Rachel, have you never heard of the 'Girl Code'?" Kurt asked tiredly with a shake of his head. "Kissing your best friend's guy is like _the_ worst offence you can commit."

"Shoot. You don't even need Girl Code to know that." Mercedes said. "That's plain common sense."

"Which Rachel clearly doesn't have." Santana retorted. "Not that that's surprising."

"You hurt her, Rachel. Like _really _bad." Brittany stated, crossing her arms disapproving. "And that's not cool."

"So not cool." Tina reiterated with a glare.

"You think I don't know that?" she snapped, feeling ganged up on. She really did not need everyone telling her what an awful person she was. "You honestly think I don't feel awful about this? I lost my _best_ friend over a stupid mistake I can never take back!"

"The point is, hobbit, that it's _your_ responsibility to get Quinn back." Santana declared. "I don't care what you have to do or say to get it done, but just do it. You track her the fuck down and get her to come back to glee. 'Cause I did not work my ass off at Sectionals only to be disqualified from regionals over a stupid technicality of not having enough members."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "She's _gone_, Santana. She's already moved and I don't know where she went." Granted she still had the blonde's phone number but she highly doubted it still worked and even if it did Quinn would take one look at the caller id and just ignore her.

"Actually I'm pretty sure Quinn's still in town." Brittany brought up, prompting Rachel's attention to snap back toward her. The tall blonde nodded. "Cause I like, _just_ saw her on…Sunday. Yeah, Sunday. She was getting coffee at the Lima Bean when I was there and she bought me a hot cocoa. She even had the lady put in extra marshmallows and I like, didn't even ask her to do that. It was like she could read my mind. Not in like the creepy way though, like the epic way. It was awesome."

Rachel's eyes widened, choosing to ignore Brittany's rambling. "Wait, so she's still in town?"

Brittany gave a small shrug. "She could still be. Have you checked her house?"

She pursed her lips together, unsure of how to process this new bit of information. Quinn still being in Lima had to be a sign of some kind, right? Maybe she was reconsidering leaving? If the blonde was, then she had to go to her house and at least try to get her to stay, if not for her sake then for the club's, right?

Of course. Being a glee co-captain, it was practically her duty to do so.

Turning on her heel, she left her fellow glee clubbers without another word and promptly rounded the corner - only to come face to face with Finn. Dismayed at the sudden obstruction, she nearly said, "Not now, Finn" and pushed past him, but as she met his gaze, she caught the hurt in his eyes, the anger. She quickly realized he had been listening to her conversation with the glee girls, though how much of it, she did not know. But apparently enough for him to state: "You cheated on me."

She nodded guiltily. "It was a stupid mistake. I-I was mad at you and Jacob, he was just there, and I wasn't thinking…"

Disbelief etched across his face, along with some disgust. "You cheated on me with your best friend's boyfriend."

Again she nodded. "Yes."

"And you never even thought to mention it?" he exclaimed, his anger boiling through. "Not once when I came over during the break and practically _begged_ you to get back together with me? You just let me gravel for your forgiveness when you had kissed another guy?" He shook his head incredulously.

"Not telling you about Santana was wrong, I admit to that and I'm sorry." he continued in an much calmer tone. "But you actually cheated on me, while we were _still_ technically together."

"I know and Finn, I meant to tell you." she said honestly. "I wanted to tell you, but I was scared to because I knew if I did you would just end up hating me too."

"I know you're a lot of things, Rachel, and I loved you because and in spite of all them, but I never thought you were mean."

"I didn't kiss Jacob to intentionally hurt you for what you did, Finn." She had to assure, tears prickling her eyes despite that. "I told you I wasn't thinking when I did it. It was a mistake!"

God, how many times would she have to explain herself? She should have just made an announcement over the P.A. system so she wouldn't have to constantly be repeating herself.

"Mistake or not, you cheated, Rachel." Finn said quietly. "And you hurt not only me, but Quinn too. She's only ever been nice to you and what you did was beyond messed up." With another shake of his head, he took a step away from her. "I can't believe I ever wanted you to take me back."

"Finn…I'm sorry." He just looked at her disappointedly and pressed onward, rounding the corner she had just come from and disappearing from her sight.

* * *

"As long as the sun rises and sets, as long as there is day and night, and for as long as they both shall live. Always together, eternally apart." She found herself reciting Jacob's words on the drive to his and Quinn's house, still hoping to reach an epiphany of some kind from their meaning, even after over a month of scrutiny.

"As long as the sun rises and sets." she mumbled to herself, deep in thought. Well that certainly wasn't going to change any time soon. Not unless the Sun suddenly imploded or something.

"As long as there is day and night." Again, that was not liable to change any time soon.

Exhaling with deep frustration, she stopped at traffic light intersection and patiently waited for the light to turn green. It was no use. She had been over this time and time again and she was still nowhere closer to finding even a clue to a solution than she had been when she originally started this quest.

Glancing out her driver's side window, she looked to the truck next her car and mindlessly read over the car decal on the side of the door. _Eclipse builders Inc. _it read, with the company's contact information and address below it in one font size smaller.

The car behind her honked. Jumping slightly, she quickly refocused her attention and eased back into driving. _Eclipse builders Inc_. The name lingered in her brain for some reason. She hadn't the faintest idea why, the name was neither catchy nor a relevant title for a construction company - at least in her opinion.

_Eclipse_. Whenever she thought of that word, she thought of the song, _Total Eclipse of the Heart_, which she had sung last year with Finn, Puck, and Jesse. She shuddered at the memory of the debacle that had preceded it - oh, what a mistake _that_ had been - and instantly pushed it out of her mind.

With the topic of eclipses still lingering in her brain, her mind ventured back to a random glee rehearsal a while back, where she remembered Artie and Sam to be conversing about the very thing due to the astronomy class they both took. She hadn't paid complete attention to their discussion but had recalled a piece of it…

"_-In fact many ancient, and even some modern, cultures, eclipses have been attributed to supernatural causes or regarded as bad omens." Artie informed the blonde boy strumming his guitar next to him._

"_I don't know, man, I think eclipses are pretty cool." Sam said with a shrug, shaking his long blonde bangs out of his eyes. "Especially like, solar eclipses when they're halfway, cause then it's like, both day and night at the same time."_

_Artie nodded his agreement. "Did you know in March there will be a solar eclipse? Though unfortunately it won't be visible to us here in Ohio." he said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "But there will be one we'll be able to see from here, I believe in 2014."_

_Sam looked up from his guitar, brow furrowed. "But dude, we'll all be dead by then. The world's like, ending in 2012, remember?"_

"_Er….right…"_

Rachel distinctly remembered thinking Sam to be the male version of Brittany shortly after that, but of course she came to that conclusion based off of months of speculation - and a lot of awkward one-sided conversations in Na'vi - not just that one conversation.

Sighing to herself, she continued on through Lima, the snow on the ground prompting drivers to reduce their speed, thereby making the drive to Quinn's house longer than it usually was.

_It made sense that eclipses would be considered bad omens_. She mused to herself. _After all they do look quite ominous and foreboding_. She could only imagine how people thousands of years ago reacted when an eclipse occurred. They must have been scared out of their minds what with some unknown darkness making it so that it was both day _and_ night at the same time.

Wait a minute.

Both day _and_ night?

Slamming down on the breaks, she brought her car to a screeching halt. Thankfully no cars were close enough behind her to be rear-end her. A solar eclipse would technically make it both day and night, which meant Quinn and Jacob…

Quickly pulling over to the side of the road, she unbuckled her seatbelt and fumbled for her cell phone. She didn't know if an eclipse was the solution, but she had a strong feeling it was key to this crazy puzzle in some way.

"Come on, come on…" she whispered impatiently as her internet connection _slowly_ loaded. Once it was up and running, she frantically searched for the list of solar eclipses that had yet to have taken place.

"March 19, 2011." she read off the small screen. That must have been the one Artie was talking about. She searched over the places said eclipse would be visible under and as luck would have it, the first place that caught her eye was the _Pacific Northwest, _but specifically _Washington_.

Now if that wasn't some kind of a sign she didn't know what was.

Tossing her phone back onto the passenger seat, she rebuckled her seatbelt and started the car before peeling back onto the road in a rather unruly manner. Hopefully there were no cops around to see that. She couldn't have any blemishes on her driving record whatsoever.

_Please still be there. Please still be there._ She mentally chanted, all but hopping out of her car as soon as she reached Quinn and Jacob's house. With phone in hand, she bounded toward the front porch, nearly killing herself in the process, what with the ground being so slippery.

_Okay, Rachel. Play it cool. _First taking a moment to compose herself, she then reached out and rang the doorbell. _Quinn, be home. Be home_.

She nearly did a back flip when the door opened to reveal her favorite blonde. Sighing heavily in relief, she smiled brightly at Quinn. "Happy New Year, Quinn. You have no idea how relieved I am to find that you're still in Lima."

At this rate not even Quinn's unenthusiasm could bring her down. "What do you want, Rachel?"

"You're still here." she commented, though she knew she was stating the obvious. "…does this mean you're staying in Lima?"

Quinn shook her head, one hand propped up against the door. "No, the house we bought is unable to be moved into until after New Year's. We'll be out of here soon enough though. I just have a few things left to pack and send ahead."

Peering over the blonde's shoulder, she could clearly see all the boxes that filled the house. Her smile faltered somewhat. "Quinn, you can't move."

"I'm moving regardless of what you want, Rachel." Quinn sighed, already moving to close the door on her. "Now if you'll excuse me I'm very busy. I have many things I want to get done before sundown."

"Quinn, wait!" She pushed at the door, keeping it open, and shimmied her way inside. "I need to talk to you."

"Rachel, do me a favor and get out of my house." Quinn stated, her tone laced with warning. "Otherwise I will kick you out myself."

She followed Quinn into the living room and sharply turned in front of her, effectively stopping the blonde. "Look, Quinn, I think I found a key to breaking the curse."

Quinn continued past her and walked over to a few boxes on the coffee table. "Did you now."

"Yeah," she replied ignoring Quinn's blatant dismissal. "An eclipse. Specifically a solar eclipse because during one, it can technically both be considered day and night. And if it's both day and night at the same time, then you and Jacob will at least be human together for a short period of time. And get this, in a few months, on March 19th, there will be a solar eclipse that will be visible in the Pacific Northwest and hello, that's where your curse originated in and what more of a sign could you want!" She paused for air, prompting Quinn to reluctantly turn around and actually look at her.

"An eclipse."

She nodded her head earnestly to which Quinn crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay and then what, Sherlock?"

"Well for one I believe have to go to La Push." she responded, honestly planning out the game plan off the top of her head. "We should probably get there a few weeks before the actual eclipse though because we still need to figure out how to actually break the curse. I mean Jacob's tribe must have some answers that would be helpful. But maybe you and Jacob being in your human forms at the same time might break the curse on its own because the whole purpose of the curse was to keep your apart and during an eclipse that technically won't happen…"

Quinn scoffed. "Rachel, are you even listening to yourself right now?"

She frowned at the blonde. "What do you mean?"

"A solar eclipse. _Really, _Rachel? And going to La Push? Just because the moon partially blocks the light of the Sun over a certain place doesn't make it both night and day. That's just ridiculous. And even if that were true there's not even a guarantee that Jacob and I would be in our human forms then. You're jumping to _way_ too many conclusions."

She pursed her lips together and then after a few moments, replied, "Maybe I am, but Quinn, you have to admit I'm onto something!"

"Oh you're on something alright." Quinn said with a definite nod. "I won't argue with you on that."

She huffed with displeasure. "Quinn, what is it going to take for you to take me seriously?"

"When you stop talking such nonsense, Rachel!" Quinn exclaimed, the emotion swirling in her eyes unfathomable. "Get it through your head that there is no way to break this curse!"

"But that's not true, Quinn!" she insisted. It couldn't be.

"Rachel, do you even realize what day your little solar eclipse lands on?" Quinn inquired, her hands suddenly on her hips.

She nodded. "Yes, March 19th. I believe I just mentioned that-"

"March 19th. " Quinn calmly repeated. "Is also the day of regionals, is it not?"

Her stomach dropped. _No. It couldn't be the same day! It just couldn't! Quinn has to be mistaken. I specifically remember writing the date down on my calendar and it certainly wasn't March…oh no! It was March 19th!_

"That changes things doesn't it?" Quinn surmised, her voice pulling Rachel out of her thoughts. Stepping forward, the blonde touched upon her shoulder and guided her back into the hallway. "See now you can forget about this eclipse nonsense and go home."

"I'm not forgetting anything!" she exclaimed, sidestepping away from Quinn's grasp and stopping in the middle of the hallway. "I still think we should go to Washington."

"Oh really?" Quinn arched her eyebrow, her eyes then narrowing disbelievingly. "So you're saying that you would actually choose going to Washington to test out your bizarre little theory that may or may not even have relevance to our curse _over_ going to regionals. Is that right?"

With no hesitation in her voice, she firmly nodded her head. "Yes. That's precisely what I'm saying."

"New Directions can't take regionals without you, well at least not 1st place." Quinn made sure to point out. "You must know that."

"I'm well aware, Quinn. But frankly your future happiness means much more to me than some stupid 1st place trophy." And that was the absolute truth. "Look, I know this plan is a little far-fetched, maybe even a little crazy, but I know I am on to something. I can just feel it." Sighing heavily when Quinn still didn't look convinced, she continued, "This may be yours and Jacob's only chance for freedom. Now you two are soul mates and you deserve to live a full and _happy_ life. And while you may be okay with passing over this opportunity, I'm not."

She most certainly was not.

"And if pursing this plan means me missing out on regionals then so be it." Glee club would probably hate her even more for abandoning them but whatever. This was much more important.

"Even if it meant missing both regionals _and_ nationals I would still say we go to Washington. Hell, I'd miss all the show choir competitions for the rest of my high school career if it meant breaking this damn curse!"

Inhaling deeply, she took a moment to compose herself, then raised her gaze to meet Quinn's.

"I still consider you and Jacob to be my best friends, Quinn, regardless of what your own feelings are. That's why I'm doing all this. I care about you two so much and I just can't stand watching you guys being so unhappy. It just kills me, knowing that the life you once shared has been completely taken away from you." Her heart clenched uncomfortably at the sight of Quinn's expression crumbling. She delicately moved closer to the blonde, even as she turned away to try and contain her tears.

"I know this plan of mine isn't the most reasonable and maybe I am jumping to too many conclusions, but shouldn't we at least try to see it through? I mean who knows what could happen? Even if my eclipse theory doesn't pan out, I'm sure we can find other answers that'll lead to a solution that will."

"I don't think either one of us can bear being disappointed again, Rachel." Quinn mumbled miserably, sniffling slightly. "We've tried so hard, for so long, to find a way and every lead we've ever had always lead to a dead end."

"Quinn, I know I'm asking a lot of you, but please, trust me on this. Going to La Push is the right thing to do. I can feel it in my bones."

"Rachel…"

Sensing the blonde's reluctance, she decided to go a different route. "I won't sit idly by and just let you guys walk out of my life, Quinn. At least not until we get this curse taken care of." she spoke seriously.

"In fact if I have to use force to get you to Washington, so be it. If I have to tie you both up and whack you both over the head with some kind of hard object - but of course not anything too hard cause I don't want to kill you, just knock you out - then I will." Despite being dead serious about that, she couldn't fight back the smile that found its way onto her face when she got a chuckle out of Quinn.

"You really are something, Rachel." The blonde said with a small smile, lifting her hand to dab at the corners of her eyes.

"I was being serious." she responded with a slight huff. "You know how persistent I can be, Quinn. And don't think that just because I'm small that I'm not mighty, cause I will drag your behind to Washington if necessary. I mean it would serve you right, seeing as how you not only _slapped_ me but you and your crazy little fluffy owl self totally _bit_ me - all in the same day I might add! I had to get a tetanus shot no thanks to you!"

"Need I remind you that you kissed my husband?"

"It was a mistake!" she cried out for what felt like the millionth time. Honestly she needed to get a t-shirt made with that slogan or something. "Oh my god," she covered her face with her hands with a groan, "I'm never going to live this down!"

"Rachel." Feeling her hands being slowly taken away from her face, she opened her eyes and met Quinn's sympathetic gaze. "What?"

"You really did hurt me." She opened her mouth to respond but Quinn held up her hand to stop her. "Let me finish." She complied.

"But that doesn't mean I don't still care about you. Because I do. Over these past couple weeks I've had a lot of time to think and I've realized that you will always be my friend, Rachel. I will always _want_ you as my friend."

"You made a mistake and you owned up to it. You apologized. Many, _many_ times." Quinn said with a faint laugh. "And I'm not going to lie, thinking about it does still sting, but it's not…." She shut her eyes for a moment as she struggled with the right words. "What I'm trying to say is that I don't want to lose this friendship over one stupid mistake you made when you were hurting."

As happy as she was to hear that, she couldn't but feel a little confused. "If you felt that way then why did you still plan on leaving?"

"I wasn't sure of myself. I was adamant about leaving Lima at first, but only because I was so angry and hurt. Though once I cooled down, I started to grow more hesitant about moving, but I was being so stubborn. Every time I second guessed my decision to leave, I just reminded myself of how badly you hurt me, so I just pushed away all those thoughts and continued packing."

Her eyes narrowed playfully. "Did you purposely choose a house that you knew you wouldn't be able to move into right away?"

Quinn smiled sheepishly. "I might have." Her expression turned serious again. "It wasn't until you came here today that you reminded me why I still wanted us to be friends. Not only that but you also reminded me of why I had wanted to befriend you in the first place. You have a good heart, Rachel. And you're the greatest friend anyone could ask for."

She couldn't help but feel her cheeks flush at that comment. "Quinn, you're going to make me cry." She could already feel herself starting to get all kinds of emotional.

"Well it's the true. You would actually give up something as important as regionals to help me and Jacob. That speaks volumes about how truly remarkable you are as a friend, Rachel."

"Does this mean you'll agree to go to Washington?" she asked hopefully.

"Well if I don't you're just going to whack me over the head, tie me up, and drag my butt to Washington. So, seeing as how it'll save us both the trouble…yes. I'll go to Washington."

"Really?"

She nodded. "I figure if you, Rachel Berry, are willing to forgo _regionals_ to pursue this crazy idea, then I should probably trust your judgment."

"You won't be disappointed, Quinn." she assured with a beaming smile. "A lot of good is going to come out of this trip, I can just feel it. You won't regret this and you won't regret giving me a second chance. I promise."

Completely overjoyed and overwhelmed, she threw herself into the blonde's unsuspecting arms and squeezed with all her might.

Quinn just chuckled and squeezed back. "I know I won't. But, Rachel, if you make another move on my husband again, I will break you that nose of yours without hesitation."

* * *

**AN: Sorry I had to cut it off there. Fingers were about to fall off.**

**During the piano scene, I had in mind the piano instrumental of the song My Love by Sia - fantastic song btw - and you can check it out on youtube if you want. It's really beautiful.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and review please!**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Big thanks to the one who reviewed! ****Anyways, read. enjoy. review!**

* * *

From then on things had gone relatively back to normal as far as their friendship was concerned. Granted it still stung whenever Quinn thought about the kiss but she wasn't about to hold it against Rachel for another minute longer because, despite the brunette's mistake, Rachel had proved to be far too good a friend for her to lose over a minor lapse in judgment.

Making mistakes were apart of being human. God only knew how many mistakes she had made in her lifetime. Besides she really didn't want to go back to being alone, it was far too depressing - a sentiment she no doubt shared with the small brunette - and whenever she was with Rachel, things felt normal. _She_ felt normal.

Taking another sip of her coffee, she patiently watched and waited for any sight of Rachel from the warmth of her car. It wasn't long before she spotted the girl scurrying across the student parking lot to get to her car. She chuckled mildly at the sight and turned the heater up another notch just as Rachel opened the passenger side door, thereby letting in the frigid January air, and clamored to get inside. "It's freezing out there." Rachel spoke with chattering teeth, her gloved hands rubbing together to emit more warmth.

She reached over and lowered the volume of the radio, then picked up the other cup from her cup holder. "From the school to here, that's like what? A thirty second walk?" Rachel just shrugged, now holding her hands up against the vents. "And already your lips look as though they're about to fall off. Here." She passed over the brunette's usual chai tea latte from the Lima Bean to her.

Rachel first buckled herself in before gratefully taking the cup from her. "Thanks so much." Bringing the hot drink to her lips, she instantly sighed and all but melted into her seat.

Quinn laughed. She took another sip of her coffee before setting it back down in the car's cup holder. "So how was glee?" Looking over her shoulder, she then proceeded to back the car out of its parking space.

"Good." Rachel replied, her teeth no longer chattering. "Everyone was pleased to hear that you would be returning to McKinley next week. Mr. Schuester especially."

She nodded. "I bet." Straightening up in her seat, she turned on the windshield wipers as the flurries of snow falling onto the window started to get thicker.

After taking another long sip of her latte, Rachel looked at her expectantly. "So how was your day? Did you get everything taken care of?"

"Yeah. Everything's good now." She'd spent the last week or so trying to get things back in order now that she and Jacob were no longer moving. She not only had to get back her house but get rid of the new one she had already paid a down payment on. It took a lot of convincing and even some flirting - she wasn't proud about that part at all - but now everything was finally settled. "Thankfully I can be a very persuasive person when I want to be otherwise I would probably still be stuck with that house in Wisconsin."

"See what happens when you act impetuously?" Rachel teased.

"Well at least _I_ never sent a girl to a crack house." She was quick to tease back, effectively wiping that smile from the brunette's face.

"Hey cut me some slack!" Rachel exclaimed indignantly. Clearly she didn't appreciate the reminder, which Quinn felt a pang of guilt for. The brunette's tendency to act on impulse - which stemmed from her own low self-esteem and flared up whenever she let her insecurities get the better of her - was nothing to tease her about. Especially when she felt so horrible about the mistakes she had made because of it.

"It wasn't like it was an _active_ crack house!"

"How did you even know where to find one anyways?" she asked curiously, turning her head. It was hard to imagine Rachel Berry automatically knowing of a crack house near town off the top of her head. But then again it wasn't _that_ hard to imagine…Rachel had been known to throw her for a loop on occasion.

"During freshman year," Rachel started with a heavy sigh. "the graduating seniors decided it would be funny if they ambushed me, tied me up, and threw me into a then _very _active crack house as their senior prank. Luckily I had my mace and my rape whistle with me otherwise I might not have survived - Don't laugh!" The brunette snapped upon noticing her trying _very_ hard to stifle her laughter.

"It's so _not_ funny! It was very traumatic! I could have died!"

She knew it was no laughing matter but she just couldn't help herself. The mere image of Rachel fending off crack addicts with only her mace and rape whistle like a small Jewish ninja was too damn funny.

"Mean!" was all Rachel could exclaim before she turned her body away in a huff.

Once she calmed down a little, she wiped the tears from her eyes and refocused her attention on the road. "So do you want me to go to your house or mine?"

No response. Which, in regard to Rachel Berry, either meant the small diva had just suffered a stroke or was just pouting.

Casting a sideways glance at the brunette and seeing that her companion was very much conscious, she shook her head and rolled her eyes in silence, then reached down into her purse and picked up the small paper bag also from the Lima Bean. Once it was in her grasp, she straightened back up and extended her right arm, dangling the small bag directly in front of Rachel's nose.

"Your house is fine." she eagerly answered, simultaneously snatching the vegan blueberry scone - her absolute favorite - out of her grasp.

Smiling triumphantly, Quinn stared straight ahead and drove onward as Rachel resumed giving her the usual exhaustive rundown of her school day.

By the time they reached her house, Quinn _really_ regretted giving the brunette that damn scone.

* * *

"You know at this rate we might just be fortunate enough to get ourselves a snow day tomorrow." Rachel commented, prompting Quinn to look up from the book currently in her lap. Shaking her head as Rachel went back to perusing through _her _records, she asked, "Don't you have homework you should be doing?"

"I'm taking a break." Rachel responded matter-of-factly, despite the fact that she hadn't even really started her homework to begin with. Quinn watched as she pulled out another record from its place and examined the cover quizzically. "Quinn, who are the Talking Heads?"

"A band Barbra never performed with." she responded dryly as she sank back into a comfortable position in her favorite reading chair, _Jane Eyre _shielding her face once more.

About a good five minutes passed before she dared to peer over the top of her book just to see what album Rachel was looking over now. Not surprisingly she instantly wished she hadn't. "Please tell me that you're frowning over that record because of your dislike of the album and not over the fact that you have no idea who Annie Lennox is."

Rachel smiled sheepishly as she met her gaze, where then Quinn closed her book with a groan and reluctantly got out of her chair. "You know just when I think you couldn't get any more deprived, you reach an all new low. Honestly Rachel I'm starting to doubt your dads parenting skills. Did they teach you nothing about music outside of the world of Broadway and Top 40?"

"Well they tried but I wouldn't listen."

"I'm not surprised."

Rachel huffed and promptly pushed back Annie Lennox's _Diva_ in its place. "Well not all of us have had the seventy plus years to expand our musical horizons as you have, Quinn." she remarked. "But you're right. I do need to broaden my horizons when it comes to music. It'll look better for future auditions if I'm well versed in a extensive range of musical genres than just a few."

"Which is why I'm here to help." Quinn replied, already digging through Rachel's bag until she came across the thing she was looking for.

Rachel looked on curiously. "What are you doing?"

"Giving your Ipod a much needed upgrade." she replied, giving the brunette's little pink Ipod a shake as she walked back to her seat.

"Fine." Rachel conceded with a heavy sigh, knowing she had no real choice in the matter. "But just don't get rid of the songs I already have on there."

"I wouldn't dare touch your Barbra, Liza, and Celine." She plopped back down on her chair with her laptop in tow and opened it.

"You literally have every genre from every single decade." Rachel commented, back to perusing her records.

"Yeah, just a perk of being around for as long as Jacob and I have been, I guess." she responded with a shrug, her gaze focused on the computer screen in front of her.

"Do you happen to have any Barbra?" She just snorted, prompting Rachel to add, "Right. Stupid question. So is there any genre you don't like?"

"Jacob and I never really cared for country." she answered easily. "Although these past couple of years Carrie Underwood's music has started to grow on me."

"Quinn, can I ask you another question?"

She lifted her gaze with the raise of one brow and smirked. "I don't know Rachel, _can_ you?"

Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, Rachel sat back down on the loveseat across from Quinn. "If you could choose one song to describe your feelings for Jacob after you first met, which song would it be?"

For a moment she just blinked, not expecting that question. With a furrowed brow, she tore her gaze away from her computer screen again and asked, "Where did that question come from?"

Rachel leaned back, her arms wrapped around one of the pillow cushions, and shrugged. "Just popped into my head."

Leaning back in her seat, she pursed her lips together deep in thought. "Good question." she murmured, now biting her bottom lip indecisively as she racked her brain for an answer.

Rachel perked up and smiled. "Thank you. Now which song?"

"Give me a minute to think, Rachel." she laughed, shaking her head as she turned her attention back to her computer screen. As she scrolled through her Itunes library, she thought about how she had felt the day she and Jacob met.

* * *

**_1936_**

A few hours after meeting Jacob Black for the first time, Quinn found herself walking through the forest, hand in hand, with said native young man. She wasn't sure who had initiated the hand holding or when exactly their hands came together, but either way she had no complaints. It felt right. It was one of the most comfortable feelings in the world, despite the fact that his hand was extremely warm - his high body temperature apparently a result of being a shape shifter.

A fact that a small part of her still couldn't quite wrap her head around.

Vampires, werewolves, those were all creatures found in fantasy novels, not in the real world. Or so she had thought. Now she held the hand of a man who had the ability to shape shift into a giant wolf and who used that gift to protect his land from blood sucking leeches. It was all very mystical and awe provoking though she truly believed every word that came from Jacob's lips, knowing them to be true however fantastic they sounded.

She didn't know how she was able to trust him so after only knowing him for a few hours but what she did know was earlier this morning she had felt a part of herself to be missing. Then once Jacob came into her life, the feeling completely disappeared. She was more than grateful that she had listened to her instincts and followed the pull that led her to him.

Not only was he handsome, well respected in his community - he was after all the future chief of his tribe and the Alpha of the Quileute wolf pack - but also kindhearted (a trait severely lacking in those her family associated themselves with back in Seattle).

Despite his intimidating exterior, she found Jacob to be an incredibly loving and considerate young man, not to mention a conscientious leader. He shouldered more responsibilities than anyone she knew, making him seem older than he actually was. Instead of being in his mid-twenties like she assumed him to be, she learned that in reality he was only two years older than she was.

She also found him very easy to talk to. For the first time she actually felt at ease during a conversation. Like the hand holding, talking to Jacob just felt right. Their time in the woods together was mainly spent conversing, getting to know one another, and laughing more than she ever remembered laughing in her life. They talked about everything and anything, from their home lives to their hobbies. He answered every question she asked and vise versa. She told him things she had never discussed with anyone, not even her older sister, Frannie, who was her closest friend, while he listened intently.

Suddenly hearing her name being said, she shook herself out her reverie and looked back at her companion. "What are you thinking about?" he asked curiously.

"You." she replied honestly, smiling up at him, "And how wonderful you are."

"I don't know about that." he half-laughed, slightly embarrassed. "If anyone's wonderful I'd say it's you."

She playfully bumped his arm, her cheeks flushed. "You're just saying that."

"Hey, I only speak the truth." Shaking her head, she released her hand from his and moved it to wrap around his forearm while she leaned into him. The heat he generated was phenomenal and she couldn't help but feel a little addicted to it. She giggled when he all but purred his content.

"You really are an animal, aren't you?" she teased.

He nodded. "Yes ma'am." He grinned at her before throwing his head back with a howl.

"You sir are crazy!" she exclaimed when he was done, smiling all the while. She dropped her hand from his arm when he suddenly stopped and turned to her, eyebrow arched. "Crazy you say?"

Suppressing a chuckle, she slowly began backing away from him, not liking the way his eyes were narrowing or the mischievous smile playing across his lips. With a small shriek, she turned and bolted before he had the chance to grab her. Despite knowing that with Jacob's size and build it probably wouldn't be much of a challenge for him to catch her, she pushed her legs as hard as they would go, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of an easy victory.

She wasn't sure how long they had spent chasing each other through the trees, but it wasn't long before she found herself a little short of breath and subsequently getting captured.

"C'mere you!" he laughed, his arms snaking around her waist and effortlessly picking her up off the ground in one swift movement. Within the blink of an eye, he had her in his arms bridal style, their noses practically touching. Feeing her heart rate quicken at their closeness, she swiftly turned her head, now blushing furiously. He reluctantly set her back down on her feet, then put his hand under her chin so that she met his gaze again. His eyes twinkled. "I'll have you know that the only crazy I am is about _you_."

Her breath caught in her throat. "Really?"

When he nodded his head earnestly, she suddenly felt a little giddy. "You seem surprised." he commented, his hand reaching up to push a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"Well I am!" she replied, before fumbling with her words, her heart back to racing at his sudden touch. "I mean I had hoped that maybe one day you would develop feelings like that, but I never dreamed you would feel that way about me so soon. Not that it's a bad thing, because it isn't, it's just we only met a few hours ago and…" She trailed off bashfully after noticing his amused expression. "I usually never babble."

"You underestimate your charm, you know that?" Then, surprising her for a second time, he leaned down and pressed his lips to her cheek. He pulled back slowly, his smile faltering with slight apprehension. "Was that okay?"

She wordlessly nodded, her legs feeling as though they might give out on her at any given moment. He certainly had a peculiar effect on her. Was this what being in love felt like?

They looked at one another and she honestly believed she could stay there forever, just gazing into his beautiful eyes for the rest of time. His eyes sparkled and he had the biggest grin plastered on his face, making her beam in return.

Surely this was love.

Her heart soared with this realization and she wanted nothing more than to grab his face and kiss him senseless, but of course she knew that wouldn't be proper so she refrained.

Taking his hand once more, she started walking again, in the back of her mind remembering that her grandparents were liable to seek out the local police if she was gone for too long.

"When will I see you again?" Jacob asked just before they reached the break in the trees outside her house. She raised her head to look at him just as he added in a hopeful tone, "Tomorrow? I can meet you here around nine - or is that too early for you?"

"Tomorrow at nine is perfect." she assured with a small nod, smiling at the fact that he was as eager to see her again as she was him. She then pushed herself up onto her toes and gently kissed his cheek. "Until then, Jacob."

He walked with her until they reached the very edge of the woods, where he pulled her into a tight hug, holding her as though he wouldn't ever let go. She automatically wrapped her arms him in return, unbothered by his lack of a shirt, and closed her eyes. It was incredible how protected and safe she felt when he held her. She never wanted to leave his arms.

He placed a chaste kiss to her temple before reluctantly releasing his hold on her. "Can it be tomorrow already?" he murmured with a heavy sigh. She nodded.

"It will be here before you know it." she paused before adding seriously, "And just, do me a favor and be careful, alright?" She knew it was his job to protect his people from vampires and all but that didn't mean the idea of him risking his life sat well with her. She didn't know what she would do if something bad happened to him.

Jacob snorted. "I should be telling _you_ that. You're the human after all."

"But I'm not the one who chases after vampires on a daily basis." She was quick to point out.

"Okay," he conceded with a slight chuckle, "I'll be careful. Not that any damn leech could ever hurt me."

Shaking her head at his smirk, she gave him another quick kiss to the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jacob."

She slowly made her way back to the house, humming merrily to herself as she walked past the side of house and headed around front. She didn't want her grandparents to question why she came in through the back door so she figured it best to just use the front door.

"You sure were at the library a long time, sweetheart." her grandmother commented when she walked into the kitchen, where the elder woman was already preparing dinner. "Your grandfather and I were starting to get worried."

"It's easy to lose track of time in there." she replied, setting her book down before she made her way to the sink to wash her hands. After inhaling the aroma of chicken being cooked, it suddenly occurred to her that she had completely skipped lunch in lieu of spending time with Jacob. "I guess I just got a little carried away with all the reading."

She came up beside her grandmother and took the knife she handed her, then proceeded to chop up a carrot on their cutting board.

"Must have been some books you were reading - you can't stop smiling."

Looking down bashfully, she just continued chopping, well aware of the knowing look her grandmother was undoubtedly giving her. "By the way your mother phoned when you were out."

"Oh?" She picked up the cutting board and pushed the chopped pieces into the pot on the stove. "Is everything okay?"

The last time she talked to her mother, or her father for that matter, was just before she left for Forks. And frankly, she hadn't expected to hear from either one of them for the duration of her stay.

"From how she sounded I'd say yes." Her grandmother replied. "She probably just wanted to check up on you, see how you are doing."

Though she didn't necessarily believe that, Quinn nodded along for her grandmother's sake. Sometimes she wasn't aware of how different Judy Fabray was from the Judy she raised. But then again, maybe she _was_ aware and just chose to see her daughter for how she once was.

"Any who she said she wanted you to call her back as soon as you got the chance."

"Right." Setting down her knife and board, she wiped her hands with a dish towel and headed into the hallway, where the telephone was.

Two minutes later she had her mother on the other line. "Quinnie, hello dear!"

Even on the telephone, she found herself forcing a smile as she greeted her mother in return. "Grandma said you called earlier." She fiddled with the cord as she patiently awaited her mother's response - she sounded preoccupied at the moment. Pursing her lips together during the long pause, she added with a sigh, "I can call back later if you want."

"When are you coming home, honey?" her mother asked suddenly. "Surely you weren't serious about spending your _entire_ summer in Forks."

"Actually I was." She felt her brow furrow in confusion. "Is that a problem?"

As she inwardly hoped it wasn't, her mother answered, "Well you see, Jane and Jonathan Hansen - you remember them, don't you dear? They always attend our New Year's Eve party? Jonathan works with your father? Any who, their son _Robert_-"

Having an inkling of what her mother was getting at, she groaned. "Mother…"

"Now, now, Quinn, what have I told you about doing that? It's very un-lady like. But any who, where was I? Oh yes, _Robert_. He just graduated from _Yale_ and returned home a few days ago and I've met him at a few functions already - Quinnie, he is an absolute dream! You two would be a match made in heaven! I just know it!"

"Mother-" She really should have known that her mother had only called to try and set her up with one of her father's friend's sons.

"I'll have you know that I've told him _a lot _about you and I showed him your picture and he is very smitten! He is looking forward to seeing you at the Beckett's annual Fourth of July barbeque."

"But I'm not going to the Beckett's barbeque, mother." _Nor do I want to_. "I'm staying here - in Forks."

She could practically see her mother pouting on the other line. "Well it wouldn't kill you to at least visit for the weekend. It is a holiday, after all. You should be with family."

_And what are grandma and grandpa? _She almost asked. Instead she opted for the calmer response. "I will be, mother."

"Quinn, Robert could be the man of your dreams!"

_Pretty sure I have already met him. _But of course she couldn't say that aloud_. _As much as she would have loved to tell her mother about Jacob,it just couldn't be done.

"Mother, you say that about _all _the boys you try and set me up with." she replied, slightly exasperated. She attempted to change the subject by asking about her father and sister, but her mother wasn't having it.

"Just come back home for the Fourth of July weekend and if you're not absolutely enraptured with Robert as I know you will be, then you can go back to Forks."

She rolled her eyes. She had _never_ been enraptured with any of the boys her mother attempted to push her with and she highly doubted there would be any difference with Robert. Besides, she had Jacob. He was all she wanted - and would ever want.

"Look, mother, I have to go." She had no desire to spend the rest of her evening arguing with her mother. "Grandma has dinner waiting on the table. I'll talk to you another time."

Her mother sighed. "Promise me you'll at least think it over. Robert is-"

"He's intelligent, handsome, and comes from a respectable family." she recited out of habit. " _I know_. Look, I really have to go now, mother. Give my love to Frannie and daddy. I love you. Bye." She hung up the phone without another word and walked back into the kitchen.

Her grandmother was in the process of taking the food from the kitchen and into the dining room. She wordlessly picked up the salad bowl off the counter and started to do the same.

"You know your mother's just trying to help, sweetheart." Her grandmother spoke up once they reached the dining room. "She wants you to find love."

"No, what she wants is for me to find a husband." She set down the salad bowl and followed her back into the kitchen. "She doesn't care if I love him or not."

Her grandmother sighed. "You should at least give that Robert boy a chance. He sounded nice."

"I'm sure he is, grandma, but I'm just not interested. I've already -" She was quick to stop herself before she said something she shouldn't. "Never mind."

"You've already found a special someone, haven't you?"

Raising her gaze as her grandmother handed her the bowl of steamed vegetables, her eyes widened. "What? I don't…I mean…"

Her grandmother smiled knowingly and chuckled. "Baby doll, you walked into this house with the stars in your eyes and smile so bright that even the sun would be envious." She blushed crimson. "Now I may be getting on in my years but I still know a girl in love when I see it." She watched as her grandmother's brow slowly furrowed. "So why didn't you just explain that to your mother?"

She gave a small shrug. "I guess because I knew she, and daddy, would never approve of him. His family isn't like ours. Actually far from it." she mumbled.

"It doesn't matter if he has money or not." She wasn't talking about money, but she knew she couldn't just come out and say Jacob was from the reservation or a shape shifting wolf so she let her grandmother continue. "What matters is that he treats you like you ought to be treated - with respect - and loves you for who you are, and not for the size of your trust fund. Never forget that."

"I won't." Not that she needed to, she knew Jacob wasn't that kind of a guy.

* * *

"Quinn?"

"...Quinn?"

"Hmm?" She had gotten a little lost in her own internal musings and forgotten she hadn't answered Rachel's question. "Oh, right. Um, I would probably say _I knew I Loved you _by Savage Garden." she answered with a nod. "The lyrics pretty much express how I felt after meeting him." She started to sing a verse of the song:

_There's just no rhyme or reason_

_Only this sense of completion_

_And in your eyes_

_I see the missing pieces_

_I'm searching for_

_I think I've found my way home_

"Hmm. I don't think I know that song." Rachel said, the frown evident in her voice. She looked back at the brunette and could tell she was making a mental note of it to look up later.

"It came out not too long ago." she continued. "Like early 2000, maybe?" Maybe Rachel was too young to remember it.

"Anyways it's kind of a guilty pleasure song of mine." she said rather sheepishly as she unplugged Rachel's Ipod from her laptop. As she waited for her computer to shut down, she noticed how much worse the weather had gotten outside.

"You should probably call your dads and tell them you're sleeping over here." She pushed herself out of her chair and handed Rachel her newly upgraded Ipod. She had to of at least put two hundred new songs in there. Glancing back at the small window behind Rachel, she nodded once more, more definitely. "Cause there's no way I'll be able to drive you home in that weather."

"Really?" Rachel sounded surprised. She glanced back at her and found both of the brunette's brows to be raised.

"Well, unless you'd like to attempt trekking home on foot, _yes_."

She may have forgiven Rachel but it was still too soon for her to be completely comfortable with the girl spending time with Jacob. That being said she didn't exactly relish the idea of the two of them being alone together, which was why she had kindly asked the brunette to not hang out with Jacob, at least for the time being, but now…well she couldn't very well just throw Rachel out in the storm just because she was still a little uneasy.

Rachel smiled gratefully and automatically reached for her cell phone. As she contacted her dads, Quinn walked out of the room and headed downstairs. There wasn't much light out for her to see that it was in fact almost sundown, but she always got a tingling sensation in her bones whenever it was close to that time. Like right now.

She walked out into the main hallway and stopped when she reached the coat rack by the front door. She wouldn't need the clothes for long but she wasn't about to go out in the middle of a snowstorm just in the clothes she was currently wearing. As she was putting on her snow boots, she heard Rachel come down the stairs.

"Don't tell me it's time already." She looked up and chuckled, the disappointment clearly written all over the brunette's face.

"Days get shorter in winter. Sorry." She flashed her a sympathetic smile before slipping on her other boot. "Now there's plenty of food in the cupboards and the refrigerator. Help yourself to any of it." She pushed herself upright and grabbed her coat. "As for clothes, what's mine is yours. Pajamas are in the second drawer in the dresser. There are extra toothbrushes under the sink. You can sleep in any one of the guest rooms and you're free to listen to our records but if you break or scratch any one of them, you _will _feel my wrath. Of course the level of wrath will depend on which record you damage so handle them with care."

Rachel just laughed.

She stopped and looked at her. "I'm serious, Rachel."

Laughter subsiding, the brunette nodded her head understandingly. "Anything else I'm sure you can ask Jacob about." she continued. She leaned forward and gave Rachel a quick hug.

"I will see you tomorrow morning and please tell Jacob that I love him." Rachel nodded, crossing her arms as she opened the door and subsequently let the cold air in. "And be sure to keep your lips to yourself!"

"And you be sure to keep your little owl self away from me!" Rachel called after her. "I will not stand for being bitten again!"

"Can't make any promises!" she grinned, turning around and snapping her teeth before continuing through the snow.

"I'll throw you in a cage!" She heard Rachel threaten.

"You do and tomorrow morning you'll wake up with your hair a la Barbra in Yentl!"

There was a long pause before Rachel replied, "I'm okay with that!"

* * *

Rachel was halfway finished with her homework when the front door burst open, mildly startling her. Knowing who it was bound to be, she straightened up in her seat and waited patiently for Jacob to cross into the living room.

"Rachel?" She watched as he stopped in his tracks, a look of confusion on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Jacob." She greeted with a rather timid wave. Seeing as how the last time they spoke was the day - technically night - she had apologized to him for the whole kissing incident, she wasn't quite sure where exactly they stood. Quinn may have forgiven her, but did Jacob?

"The snowstorm outside made it impossible for Quinn to take me home and seeing as how it doesn't look to be lightening up any time soon," she cast a sideways glance at snow whipping around outside the window, "We figured I would be forced to stay the night. But don't worry," she added upon noticing his hesitation. "Quinn is well aware of my being here and is okay with it."

He still seemed a little uncertain with her presence, but nodded his head regardless. "Just keep your hands and your lips to yourself, short stack." he smirked. "Otherwise I _will_ tie you to a tree out back."

Relaxing at his teasing tone, she turned back to her English homework as he disappeared into the kitchen. No less than a minute later did she hear him yell, "You know all your vegan crap has taken over my kitchen again!"

Smiling to herself, she retorted, "It's good for your health!"

"Not too worried about my health, Rachel." Jacob called back. He returned to living room and held up a small container she instantly recognized. "Now what the hell is this?"

"It's hummus."

He looked back at it and grimaced. "It looks disgusting."

"For your information it is very delicious." She raised her gaze from her textbook to look at him. "And since when are you so picky with your food, Mr. human garbage disposal?"

"I've been around for a very long time. I know what food is. And this," He lifted the container and gave it a minor shake. "this is _not_ meant for human consumption. This is cat food mixed with…glue."

She snorted, then returned to her homework. "And people say I overly dramatize."

"Whatever. Have you eaten dinner yet?" She shook her head. "Well if you want food you're gonna have to help me out because you know I suck at making your weird vegan meals."

Closing her textbook, she pushed herself off the sofa. "If you only bothered to listen to me when I was explaining to you what to do then you wouldn't suck."

"I'm sorry were you saying something?"

She turned and shoved at his arm on their way to the kitchen. "Jerk."

* * *

"Jacob! Jacob! JACOB!"

Startled by the sudden screaming that rang in the ears, Jacob dropped the dish he had been in the process of washing in the sink. He swore under his breath when he saw that a piece chipped off upon impact. "What?" he yelled irritatingly, promptly picking up the dish towel and drying his hands with it. He crossed the hallway and walked back into the living room where he jumped back with a start at the sight of the wild-eyed brunette he sadly considered a friend racing down the staircase.

"I need a computer stat!"

Now he'd heard of guys bringing magazines to read while using the bathroom, but a girl using a computer? Now that was a little too unsanitary if you asked him.

Though mildly disturbed, he swung the dish towel over his shoulder and calmly asked, "What for?"

"There's no time for that! Computer, Jacob!" she shrieked, taking a hold of him by the front of his shirt and shaking him with surprising strength for someone so small. "I need a damn computer!"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time." he responded, easily prying her small hands from his shirt with a slight chuckle. "I'm sure Quinn has her laptop upstairs somewhere."

"Right!" Shaking his head as she bounded back up the stairs two at a time, he turned around and headed back to the kitchen. One day that girl was seriously going to hurt herself.

He finished the dishes a few minutes later and despite his better judgment, returned to the living room where he found Rachel sitting on the armchair with Quinn's laptop. He couldn't help but smirk when he noticed her feet dangling off the edge, just a few inches shy of the ground.

"How'd you know the password?" he asked curiously, noticing that she had already successfully accessed the internet.

"Being Quinn's best friend it was pretty easy to figure out." she replied, her eyes never wavering from the screen in front of her. "It's your name if you didn't already know."

"I did." he replied with a smile.

"Although I will admit my first guess had been _bacon_. For obvious reasons." He snorted.

"You make fun but I'm almost positive that she loves bacon more than she loves you. She's scary obsessed. You might want to consider speaking to her about receiving some kind of professional help."

"You are not one to talk, Rachel." he scoffed, plopping himself down on the sofa and reaching across the coffee table for the television remote. "So why do you need her computer anyways?"

"I have just got word that a never-opened Barbra Streisand doll in mint condition signed by the woman herself has just been put on EBay!" she exclaimed, bouncing in her seat slightly, before turning to him in a very serious way. "I must have it."

Rolling his eyes, he leaned back against the cushions and sighed. "Of course." He should have known her new surge of crazy had something to do with the 'almighty' Barbra Streisand.

As he began idly flipping through the channels, he mentally prayed that nothing Barbra related was currently playing. Rachel had this uncanny ability of picking up on such programs from just a snippet of audio. He could never change the channel fast enough.

"My, my, my…" He kept scrolling through the channels, keeping in mind that Rachel had a tendency to talk to herself out loud. "Quinn certainly has an interesting search history."

He immediately perked up at that and turned his head toward her, brow furrowed. "What?"

"Yeah. _Beefcakes of the Midwest, sexiest firefighters, _oh my, _men built like a_…"

"What!" He bounded out of his seat so fast he accidentally knocked over the coffee table. He scowled when Rachel burst out into laughter.

"Just kidding, Jacob." she teased, smiling cheekily.

* * *

"You know I'm no optometrist but I'm pretty sure staring at a computer screen like that isn't good for your eyes." Jacob commented as he descended down the staircase. Rachel was still sitting where he left her, Quinn's computer still propped up on her lap. She had been on that computer for over six hours now. "And don't you have a bedtime or something?"

"What am I eight?" Rachel finally looked up from the computer to properly address him. "I'm seventeen, Jacob. I'm perfectly capable of determining the proper time for me to settle down for the night. Besides I still have another three hours to go until the bid is closed and that Barbra doll is mine!"

"Okay, then." He walked back into the kitchen for a moment and came out with a Hershey's chocolate bar, a Twix, two Almond Joy's, and a can of Dr. Pepper, also a package of Sour Patch Kids. He figured he was going to need some sugar in his system if he was gonna have to last another three hours with Rachel's company. "Head's up!"

He tossed the package of Sour Patch Kids her way and effectively hit her in the head with them. She scowled at him. "Hey, I said head's up."

"Do I look like I have the reflexes of a ninja?" Rachel picked the package off the keyboard and frowned. "And why are you throwing candy children at my head?"

"It's for you to eat. You know, _consume_?" He smirked. "I checked the pantry and it's the only 'vegan friendly' candy we've got."

"Oh, well thank you, Jacob." Smiling appreciatively, Rachel then opened the package and popped one of the candies into her mouth. "I usually try and stay away from sugar such as this but what the hey! A little candy never hurt anybody, right?"

* * *

"Are you seriously just going to stay right there, Rachel?" Quinn inquired, looking back at the front porch where the brunette was sitting, her hands resting on her hips.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am." Rachel called back with a stubborn cross of her arms. Quinn rolled her eyes. "For the last time, Berry." She only went by Rachel's last name when the girl was being annoyingly impossible. "He's not going to hurt you."

She glanced back at her russet wolf currently padding through the fresh layer of snow that coated the front yard, then turned to Rachel. "He's used to you now."

"Quinn, it's one thing to get bitten by you and your fluffy little owl self but to get bitten by _him -_" Rachel firmly extended her left arm and pointed her index finger directly at Jacob. "and his sharp and _deadly_ canine teeth is a whole other thing. I am staying as far away from that mongrel as possible."

"So you're not even going to come out here and enjoy all this snow?" She spun around in a circle, arms outstretched, then dropped them and pouted. "You're no fun."

"What's no fun is having to get a tetanus shot." Rachel remarked with a scowl.

She rolled her eyes as her hands settled back on her hips, exasperated. "You know if you keep throwing the fact that _I bit you _in my face every three seconds, Rachel, I will do the same with the fact that _you kissed my husband._"

Rachel's head automatically ducked down guiltily. She inwardly groaned. Here she was wanting nothing more than to move past the whole incident and get on with her life, and yet she had to bring it up again.

"Rachel, just do me a favor and get your little diva ass over here," she reached down and scooped up a handful of snow, then began patting it into ball form as she straightened up. "before I start _mercilessly_ pelting you with snowballs. I will not have you ruining this snow day just because you have an irrational fear of a harmless animal."

Rachel raised her gaze and scoffed, begrudgingly standing up after she chucked a snowball that barely skimmed past the side of the brunette's head. "He is hardly what I call harmless!"

Watching as Rachel stomped through the snow, all the while eyeing Jacob cautiously as if she expected him to pounce on her, Quinn smiled despite herself and kicked a bunch of snow the brunette's way. "Just get over here you."

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Rachel grumbled, hugging her red coat closer to her chest. "You know we really shouldn't stay out here for too long. Cold air is just brutal on one's vocal cords."

She rolled her eyes yet again and nodded. "Yes, _mother_."

Rachel huffed. "Honestly if I had a dime for every time you rolled your eyes at me-"

"You'd be richer than Bill Gates." she answered promptly, leaning down to gather more snow. She smiled wickedly when Rachel flinched. "Now help me build a snowman, Gizmo."

"Do I even want to know what that name means?" Rachel asked warily, reluctantly leaning down to help her with the base of their snowman.

She immediately stopped and stared at her. "Don't tell me you've never seen _Gremlins_."

"I could but then that would be a lie and you know how horrible I am at lying." Rachel answered with a small shrug. "But please, enlighten me on this _Gremlins _and what it has to do with you calling me Gizmo."

"Gremlins is a movie made back in the '80's about this cute little furry creature named Gizmo." she explained as she worked on the middle of their snowman. "There are three very important rules when it comes to taking care of him. One, you don't expose him to sunlight or he'll die, two, you don't get him wet otherwise he'll multiply, and three, you don't feed him after midnight unless you want him to turn into a scary reptilian looking gremlin."

Rachel's brow furrowed in confusion as she rolled together a head for their snowman. "So you called me Gizmo because you think I'm cute and furry?"

She shook her head with a laugh. "No. I called you Gizmo because apparently, according to Jacob you should not be fed after midnight."

Rachel straightened up with their snowman's head and frowned. "Why would he say that?"

"He says you get all kinds of hyper." she chuckled, carefully taking the ball of snow from her and placing it on top of the other two. "Like more so than you usually are, which frankly I didn't think humanely possible."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I do not get 'all kinds of hyper' simply because I indulge in an after midnight snack or two."

"Jacob says he gave you Sour Patch kids and the next thing he knew, you had raided our kitchen of _all_ the sugar we had." she retorted. "And yes, I checked this morning to ensure he wasn't exaggerating and you know what I found? My entire stash of Kit-Kat bars completely gone! Don't think that I'm not expecting reimbursement."

Rachel crossed her arms with a scoff. "I recall no such thing. And for your information, I would never do such a thing because Kit-Kats are not vegan friendly. Jacob was probably the one who ate your precious candy."

"He said it was all _you_. And you probably don't remember last night because he had to slip you some Nyquil when you weren't paying attention just so you'd go to sleep-"

"What?" Rachel shrieked, utterly horrified. "He _drugged _me?"

She walked back over to the brunette after grabbing two sticks by the trees and nodded. "He said you were so hopped up on sugar that he had to do something. I would have done the same thing if I had been in his shoes - no offense."

"Offense taken." Rachel scowled. "He could have killed me!"

"I highly doubt Jacob would have given you a lethal dose." she replied with a roll of her eyes. "You're annoying but not _that_ annoying."

"_Gee_ _thanks_."

"Just keepin' it real, Rach." she grinned, innocently shrugging. Her brow furrowed for a second. "Wait do kids still say that?"

Rolling her eyes playfully, Rachel turned around and began digging through the layers of snow for some pebbles or rocks for their snowman.

"You know can't remember the last time I build a snowman." she casually brought up as she stuck two sticks into each side of their snowman.

"Was it before or after Hoover was president?" Rachel snickered as she pressed pebbles into the head to make facial features.

Glowering, she removed her fuchsia scarf from around her neck and wrapped it around the snowman. "Oh shut up, Gizmo and give me your beret."

"Use your own hat!" Rachel cried, her own hands flying to her head.

"I'm wearing a beanie, Rachel." She pointed to the matching fuchsia hand-knitted beanie she was wearing. "You can't put a beanie on a snowman."

She beckoned to the brunette to hand over her beret once more. "But it's white." Rachel argued, removing her hat despite that and handing it over. "It'll clash with the overall color of the snow."

She snorted. "You sound like Kurt." She snatched Rachel's hat and placed it on top of their snowman. "And technically your beret is off-white. It's fine. See?"

Taking a few steps back, they admired their completed snowman together for a moment before whipping out their phones to take a picture.

After pocketing her phone, Rachel looked to her expectantly. "Can I take my hat back now?"

She sighed dramatically and gestured to it with a flick of her wrist. "If you must."

Rachel laughed and with a smile swiped her hat back. After it was perfectly situated on her head, she looked at Quinn. "Now what do you want to do?"

She examined the snow for a few seconds before intentionally falling on her back. "Make snow angels." she replied, already moving her hands and legs to make one.

"Okay." Rachel plopped down next to her and began mimicking her movements.

"You know Kurt told me that it's impossible for Santana to make a snow angel. Somehow it always ends up looking like a snow devil."

Rachel laughed. "I bet."

"Oh no! Jacob stop!" she cried with laughter, quickly trying to cover her face when she was suddenly ambushed by sloppy kisses from her wolf. "Rachel help!"

"No way he drugged me."

"Crazy dog." she giggled after successfully moving away from the onslaught. She pushed herself upright and scratched behind her wolf's ears. "You're luck you're cute." Kissing the top of his head, she then stood up and helped her other companion to her feet.

"Thanks for nothing, Rachel."

"That is highly unsanitary." Rachel commented, wrinkling her nose slightly as she wiped her wet cheek with the back of her gloved hand. "You should go and wash your face immediately."

She just shrugged. "They say dogs have cleaner tongues that people's."

"I highly doubt that. Remember that time he brought you a dead rabbit? Gross. Not to mention disturbing."

She sighed heavily. "He's an animal, Rachel. He doesn't know any better." She looked at the brunette's nose and then laughed.

Rachel immediately frowned self-consciously. "What?"

"Your nose is redder than Rudolph's." she chuckled. "We should probably get inside."

"Agreed." Rachel swiftly turned on her heel and together they trudged back to the house. "At least now we can finally start that movie marathon you promised me! _Hello Dolly! _here we come!"

She internally groaned. There was no way she would be able to sit through another Barbra film without wanting to shoot herself in the foot. "No way, Rachel." she pleaded. "No more Barbra."

She could have sworn Rachel emitted a small puppy like whimper just then. "Why not?"

"Because she's overrated."

Rachel stopped, then smacked her arm - with surprising force - and looked at her, completely aghast. "Take that back this instant!"

"I will not." she retorted, now gingerly rubbing her left arm with a scowl. "It's the truth."

"If anyone is overrated it's _Audrey Hepburn_."

She choked back her own gasp and looked back at Rachel with equal horror. "She is not!"

"_Completely_ overrated." Rachel emphasized with a smug smile. "She's _nothing_ compared to Barbra."

She could feel her cheeks flush angrily at that remark, seeing as how Audrey was to her what Barbra Streisand was to Rachel. "Take that back."

"No." Rachel said determinedly, a smirk playing across her lips.

She was quick to wipe that stupid smirk off the brunette's face.

"You did _not _just do that." The diva exclaimed, stunned that Quinn had the audacity to throw a snowball right at her.

"Oh I just did." she replied, sticking out her tongue and quickly preparing another snowball. "And there's more to come if you don't…" Her words were lost as soon as Rachel pelted her in the face with a ball of snow. She stared at the brunette disbelievingly, one eyebrow raised, as Rachel doubled over with laughter.

Shaking the snow out of her hair, she then grabbed an armful of snow and unleashed it on Rachel, who shrieked in surprise.

"You got snow down my jacket!" The brunette whined, reaching behind her neck with a uncomfortable grimace as snow slid down the inside of her shirt. She did a little dance to try and get it out but to no avail. "If I get hyperthermia and die, I will come back as a ghost and haunt you until you go mad, Quinn Fabray!"

"Keep talking and you'll just be giving me more incentive to lock you out." she replied off her shoulder, chuckling to herself as she scurried up the front porch.

"Don't you dare! I'm small which means I have a smaller body mass which means I'll freeze faster and subsequently die quicker!" Rachel called out, immediately bounding after her before she had the chance to close the door on her.

She closed the front door behind Rachel and then began pulling off her gloves. "You know you are lucky we're friends otherwise you would not still be standing here on this earth after saying such a _heinous_ thing against my Audrey."

"Ditto, Quinn." Rachel said curtly. She shrugged off her coat and hung it up on the coat rack before going to work on her boots.

"I'm going to make us some hot chocolate." she announced, taking a second to flip her hair out from under the collar of her thermal long sleeved before she made her way toward the kitchen. "And yes, Rachel," she added before the brunette interrupted her like she always did. "it will be vegan."

"Thank you gorgeous." Rachel responded in her best Barbra impersonation, flashing her a beaming smile over her shoulder.

Shaking her head, she turned back on her heel. "You pick out a movie. And no Barbra!"

"There is seriously something wrong with you!" Rachel called after her right before she walked into the kitchen.

"You're one to talk!" She called back, smiling to herself as she grabbed the organic vegan sugar and cocoa from the pantry. She then pulled the almond milk out of the refrigerator and set it down on the counter. "How about _Meet the Fockers_?" Came Rachel's suggestion from the living room.

"No Barbra _at all_, Rachel!"

As she pulled out a saucepan from the oven and set it on the stove, she figured she would throw in her own suggestion. "Put on _My Fair Lady_!"

Unsurprisingly, Rachel was quick to refuse. "No way! If I can't have Barbra, you can't have Audrey!" _Oh well, it was worth a shot. _Gently stirring in the milk into the saucepan, she threw out another "Mean!" before Rachel walked into the kitchen.

"How about _Annie_?"

She looked back at the brunette disbelievingly, her shoulders deflating. They'd had to of watched that movie at least a dozen times already. "_Again_?"

Rachel rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. No _Annie_." She walked up to the counter next to the stove and pushed herself upward - or at least _tried_ to. Quinn noticed her struggle out of the corner of her eye but didn't say anything for fear of just bursting into laughter if she as much as opened her mouth. Though when Rachel finally gave up, she couldn't help but say, "Need a stepping stool, short stuff?"

Rachel scowled and slapped the back of her arm. "Don't make fun. It's not like you're _that_ much taller than I am."

"But at least I'm considered average height." She was quick to point out as Rachel settled to lean against the counter instead. "Anyways," She whisked the milk together until the cocoa powder and sugar completely dissolved, then lowered the heat a tad as she continued stirring. "How about _The Long, Long Trailer_? You can't go wrong with Lucy."

"Which Lucy?"

Laughing mildly, she replied, "_The_ Lucy, Rachel." She turned her head and her smile instantly faded at the blank expression Rachel was giving her. "Please tell me you do know who Lucille Ball is, Rachel."

"I've definitely heard of her….I think."

"_You think_?" She could not believe her ears. "You mean you've never heard of _I Love Lucy_?"

"Of course I've heard of it." Rachel replied with a roll of her eyes. She breathed out a sigh of relief and turned back to their hot chocolate.

"I've just never seen it."

In all her years on this earth, Quinn had _never_ felt so close to having a heart attack. "You mean," she swallowed hard, doing her best to keep calm as she met Rachel's gaze again. "you have never seen a single episode?"

Rachel grabbed two mugs out of the cupboard with a shake of her head. "Nope."

"How did I not know this?" She swiftly turned off the heat and snatched one of the mugs out the brunette's grasp and filled it. Rachel just shrugged, handing over the other empty mug in exchange for the filled one. "It never came up."

"Okay, that's it." She began shooing Rachel out of the kitchen. "I'm changing our movie marathon to an _I Love Lucy _marathon."

"And you call me bossy!" Rachel exclaimed over her shoulder as she scampered back into the living room, hot chocolate in hand and Quinn pushing at her back.

"You have not truly laughed until you have seen the comedic genius that is Lucille Ball." She promptly informed her as she plucked the first season out of her and Jacob's collection. "You'll be thanking me later. Preferably with bacon."

Rachel tucked her feet underneath her legs as she got situated on the sofa and shook her head with a short laugh. "Your obsession with bacon is not only deeply disturbing but also very unhealthy."

She quickly put in the first dvd into the player and then walked back to the sofa, remote in hand. "You have Barbra. I have bacon. Leave me alone."

"Well at least my obsession doesn't involve the consumption of a poor defenseless animal."

She took a quick sip of her hot chocolate - which surprisingly wasn't that bad for being vegan - before replying in a sing-song voice, "True but yours does make you super annoying!"

"Does not!"

"Does so." she retorted with a laugh. "It also makes you super crazy! Don't think Jacob forgot to tell me about your little EBay bid on a freakin' Barbra Streisand _doll _last night."

"It was in mint condition and signed by Barbra herself!" Rachel exclaimed. "Of course, thanks to my determination and copious EBay knowledge, I will possess said doll in six to ten business days."

"Don't you have enough Barbra memorabilia as it is?" she sighed, leaning back against the sofa cushions. "Your room is practically a shrine devoted to her."

"One can never have too much Barbra memorabilia."

She snorted, then pressed _play_ on the remote when the main menu appeared on the television screen. "That's what a Barbra hoarder would say."

"Would not!"

"Would so." she murmured against the rim of her mug, taking another sip. "Now shush, Lucy's on."

* * *

When school resumed session the following week, Rachel was still giggling to herself about the genius that was _I Love Lucy_. How on earth she had gone so long without knowing such hilarity was beyond her. All but skipping down the hallway to her next class and humming the _I Love Lucy_ theme song to herself, she suddenly stopped upon noticing Finn at his locker.

Struck with a new idea, she turned on her heel and altered her course. She was on too much of a Lucy high to remember that Finn still wasn't really speaking to her but oh well…

"Finn." He was digging through his locker for the books to his next class when she walked up to him.

He slowed his movements as his brow furrowed in confusion. "Uh, hey, Rachel."

Speaking in as much of a solemn manner as she could muster, she asked, "Are you tired?"

His frown deepened before he started shaking his head. "Uh, no."

"Rundown?"

"Huh?"

"Listless?"

He blinked. "I don't know what that means…"

"Do you poop out at parties?"

"Uh, no. I usually save my pooping for like, my own bathroom. It would be too weird to _you_ _know _in someone else's toilet."

Mentally burning the last second from her memory, she continued, "Are you unpopular?"

Taking a second to glance down at the letterman's jacket he was wearing, Finn shook his head unsurely. "I don't think so. Wait - are these like, trick questions?"

"The answer to all your problems is in this little bottle." She proceeded to act as though she had a bottle in her hands. "VITAMEATAVEGAMIN."

"Vitameatavegamin contains Vitamins, Meat, Vegetables, and Minerals. Yes, with Vitameatavegamin, you can spoon your way to health. All you do is take a great big tablespoonful after every meal!" Finn looked more lost than ever but she was too on a roll to care.

"Mmm... It's so tasty, too! Tastes just like candy! So why don't you join all the thousands of happy peppy people and get a great big bottle of Vitameatavegamin tomorrow! That's Vita-meata-vegamin!" Ended on a wink, she waited a second before bursting into a fit of hysterical laughter, unable to contain it for another second.

"Oh, I'm sorry Finn." She wiped at the corners of her eyes as soon as she was able to calm down. Finn was still looking at her like she'd lost her mind. "Quinn recently introduced me to _I Love Lucy_ and we've been spending the past few days watching the series. If you didn't already know, it's hilarious." First taking a moment to pat his arm, she then continued on her way with that same pep in her step. "See you in glee!"

* * *

Rachel was sitting in the cafeteria, patiently waiting for Quinn to join her, when the blonde approached their usual table…with a cake in hand. Her brow furrowed immediately. "What's that for?"

Quinn sat down opposite her and shrugged. "Santana just gave it to me on my way here and I have no idea why."

"Oh." It suddenly clicked. Quinn looked at her expectantly. "It's Santana's gift to you for slapping me." she explained with a sigh.

Quinn set her brown lunch bag on the table and frowned. "Wait, how did she even know?"

"Apparently Brittany was in one of the bathroom's stall when we had our little confrontation." she replied, as Quinn emptied out the contents of her lunch bag.

Quinn nodded. "And of course she told Santana, who probably told everyone else in glee, am I right?"

She smiled sheepishly. "No actually _I_ did that."

Quinn shot her a disbelieving look, prompting Rachel to exclaim, "Hey, they were all on your side! You should have seen the girls, they were literally seconds away from jumping me!"

Rolling her eyes, Quinn turned back to her sandwich and started to eat it.

She glanced back at Quinn's cake, with its chocolate frosting and random candy decorations, and chuckled. "You know that cake looks like a five year-old decorated it."

"I'm assuming Brittany helped Santana with it." Quinn replied, also taking another glance at the cake. She looked to her. "Do you want some?"

She shook her head politely. "I highly doubt it's vegan, so no thank you."

"Right. So," Quinn said, in a blatant subject-changing move. "When exactly are you going to tell everyone in glee that we are missing out on regionals?"

"Wait why do _I_ have to tell them?"

"Because this whole Washington road trip thing is _your_ idea."

She continued to push her salad around with her fork, her head downcast while she said quietly, "I'll tell them…soon. When the timing is right."

Quinn raised her eyebrows. "Which will _be_?"

She mumbled something unintelligible before shoving a forkful of lettuce in her mouth, gaze still averted.

Quinn sighed heavily. "Rachel, they _have_ to know. We can't just say we're ditching them at the last minute. They need to know right away so that they'll have time to find two replacements."

She snorted at the very idea of the group finding a replacement for _her_. "That's impossible."

"It's not _impossible_. Didn't you guys get Jacob Ben Israel to be your guys' twelfth member for sectionals last year before I came to McKinley?"

"Well, yeah….but still….the team will _murder_ me when I tell them." she whined. "And you know how I feel about dying before I've reached the Broadway stage."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Like I would ever let that happen, Rachel."

Her eyes narrowed skeptically. "Promise?"

She could tell the blonde was fighting back the urge to roll her eyes again, something Quinn frequently did in her presence. "Yes, Rachel, I promise!"

* * *

Chaos.

Complete and utter chaos.

"GUYS!" Mr. Schuester bellowed over the commotion, forcing everyone in the choir room into silence. "Everyone calm down now! Especially you, Santana!" He pointed directly at the hot-headed Latina who, up until now, had been ranting in Spanish unlike ever before. Santana let out a small growl before yanking herself out of Sam, Mike, and Mercedes' restraints and sitting back down next to Brittany, arms folded.

"Now, everyone take your seats." Mr. Schuester ordered in a much calmer tone. The group complied reluctantly and returned to their seats. Turning his head toward Quinn and Rachel, who remained in the center of the room, Mr. Schuester breathed out another heavy sigh. "If you girls don't mind explaining, why exactly will you two be unable to participate in regionals?"

Rachel, who had been the one to bring up the subject in the first place, looked to Quinn this time around. She hadn't even gotten past the whole 'Quinn and I will be unable to join you at regionals' before pandemonium erupted and Santana pounced like a jungle cat.

There was no way she was going to attempt speaking to them again. Besides, they all liked Quinn more anyways.

Quinn, whose hair was slightly tousled from the near scuffle she had with Santana, ran a hand through her locks as she bit down on her bottom lip. She couldn't very well tell them the real reason she and Rachel were ditching regionals and while she liked to think of herself as playing it cool even while under pressure - the same could not be said for Rachel, who was currently half-hiding behind her - she was kind of at a loss on what to tell them.

"Uh, well you see it's kind of a personal family matter that I can't really go into detail about. There's something important I need to take care of and Rachel, well, I need her help."

"Don't tell me you two are planning on running off and getting married." Santana interjected dryly. "Cause I'mma tell you right now - it'll never work out. My psychic Mexican third eye is never wrong."

Finn pushed himself out of his chair and stood up, completely ignoring Santana's comment. "We _need_ you two for regionals. Not only will we not have enough members to compete but we won't even stand a chance of placing without Rachel." He turned to Quinn. "Whatever it is you need to do, can't it wait until after regionals or something?"

Quinn shook her head, looking at him sympathetically, as well to the rest of the group. "I'm sorry but it can't."

"Lets, uh, talk about this some other time, shall we?" Mr. Schuester spoke up, his voice cutting through the sudden silence like a knife. It was obvious he was trying very hard not to seem disappointed, unlike the rest of the New Directions.

* * *

"Well that was about the tensest rehearsal in the history of glee." Quinn sighed as she and Rachel made their way to her car.

"At least they know now." Rachel replied, sighing also as she walked around to the passenger side and opened the door. "Though you do realize that they aren't going to leave us alone until they succeed in getting us to compete with them, right? Mr. Schuester included."

"Yeah, I figured." Quinn strapped on her seatbelt and started the ignition. As she pulled out of the student parking lot and started to drive, she added, "Hey, what are you going to tell your dads? I highly doubt they'll let you go on a cross country road trip with as vague of an explanation as the one we gave glee."

"Don't worry about it. I'll think of something." Rachel suddenly shrieked in delight. "Ooh! I've got it! I'll tell them that a Barbra Streisand convention is taking place in Washington! It's the perfect alibi! My god why didn't I think of it before? It's genius! I'm a genius!"

"No you're insane."

Rachel scoffed. "Says the girl who practically has a love affair going on with bacon! You know, one of these days you are going to leave me no choice but to throw you into a psychiatric institution. Honestly who in the world talks to their bacon-"

"It was one time, Rachel!" she huffed, slightly mortified. "One time! And you know, Mercedes is as obsessed with tater tots as I am with bacon and yet I don't see you trying to get her psychiatric help!"

"I beg to differ! I tried staging a totvention - a tater tot intervention - for Mercedes when Coach Sylvester banned tater tots a few months ago! It failed, obviously, but I tried to help her. And how does she repay me? By nearly giving me a black eye!" Rachel shuddered at the memory.

"That's the last time I will ever try and stop Mercedes from shoving tater tots into the tail pipe of Coach Sylvester's LeCar, let me tell you."

Her brow furrowed. "Wait, where was I when all this happened?"

"Presumably at home where you able to talk to your bacon in the privacy of your own household, you know without the judgment of sane people there."

"Rachel, do you _want_ to walk home?"

* * *

**AN: This was a fun chapter to write. Reviews would be greatly appreciated!**

**P.S - Who's seen the trailer for Dianna's new film, _The Family_? Anyone else eagerly awaiting it's release or is it just me? It's probably just me. I can't help it, a movie with Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones AND an ass-kicking Dianna? I'M IN.**

**Anyways, fangirl moment aside, thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: So I had written this ages ago but was unable to finish it, and now after looking over it I just decided to cut out the pages I had trouble with and just publish what I had done. Sorry for the long wait but I haven't had much drive for this story. Unfortunate but true.** **I don't want to leave this story unfinished but when you have writer's block there's not much you can do.**

**Also, for those who are awaiting an update on _Strange and Beautiful_, I intend on posting a new chapter by the end of this weekend, hopefully sooner.**

**Anyways, read. enjoy. review!**

* * *

When Quinn's final class of the day ended, she deliberately lingered back until she was the last one, aside from the teacher, out. With a deep exhale, she maneuvered her way through the crowded hallways, all while on the lookout for any of the members of the glee club. She loved them - God knows she did - but as of late, those kids were _really _grating her last nerve.

This past week had been nothing but a headache. With everyone in glee trying to convince her and Rachel _not_ to abandon them at regionals _every_ single minute of _every_ single day, she found coming to school a nightmare. Not only that but they wanted answers, which she just couldn't give - not truthful ones anyways.

With that being said, she knew she wouldn't be able to tolerate glee rehearsal today so she simply opted out of going. As the hallways thinned out almost completely, she quickened her pace and stealthily slipped through the doorway of her intended destination before she was seen. Lately her fellow glee clubbers had developed the tendency to appear out of thin air and hound her about regionals, so to ensure she didn't accidentally cross paths with any of them, she sought out one of the places farthest from the choir room.

McKinley's dance studio was smaller than the choir room, but was still large enough for it to hold its purpose adequately enough. Since she was Rachel's ride home she would have to wait somewhere until glee ended and she could think of no better place than here.

After she shucked off her shoes and deposited of her bag in a corner, she gravitated toward the center of the floor. She first took a moment to stretch out her limbs, then another to bask in the complete silence surrounding her.

Finally some peace and quiet.

Pushing all thoughts of glee out of her head, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and breathed out slowly. She started out with a few basic ballet movements, then jumped into the more advanced techniques once she found her groove. _Just like riding a bicycle_. She mused to her reflection as she paused to take a breath. _Once you learn, you never forget. _

Satisfied with the fact that she still had it, even after all these years, she launched herself back into the dance with much more…_fire_.

It was exhilarating.

She was about to execute another move when she caught sight of someone else's reflection in the mirror. Falling out of her pirouette with a start, she swiftly turned her head toward the open doorway. "Rachel," she panted, taking a second to push a stray hair out of her face. "What are you doing here?"

Surely she hadn't been dancing for so long that glee had already finished. Glancing back at the clock on the wall, she found that she hadn't. Only about forty minutes or so, which either meant glee had let out early or Rachel had been instructed to hunt her down. She doubted it was the latter. The rest of the club had been bugging Rachel as much as they'd been her.

"I was unaware that you could dance like that, Quinn." Rachel started, both surprised and impressed.

She smiled faintly and nodded. "Been taking ballet since I was three." she replied, wiping the perspiration from her brow. "Though its been ages since I've practiced like this." She couldn't even remember the last time she had put on the shoes or worked up such a sweat for that matter.

"I've been looking for you everywhere." Rachel stated matter-of-factly as she approached her. "You haven't been answering any of my texts. I was beginning to get worried."

Remembering that she had silenced the device during her last class, she nodded apologetically. "Sorry, I had it on silent." Pushing back the disappointment that her alone time had been interrupted, she refocused her attention on the mirror behind her.

"Why are you ditching glee?"

"Because if I had gone to practice, I'm pretty sure I would have pulled a _Carrie_." she answered plainly, readjusting her posture.

"I told you they weren't going to leave us alone until we caved." Rachel sighed, walking up to the barre and turning around so that she and Quinn faced one another.

"If they put as much energy into finding our replacements as they did pestering the hell out of us," she continued, staring straight into her reflection as she prepared a pirouette. "they would have found two new members already."

"Problem is they don't want two new members." Rachel replied, smiling fondly as she executed a perfect triple.

"All I know is that I'm very tempted to just tell them that you will, in fact, be performing at regionals just so I can get them off my back."

"They want you at regionals just as much as they want me, Quinn."

She scoffed quietly. "I don't know about that but they do need you more than they need me."

"They need us both _equally_." Rachel shook her head and folded her arms over her chest. "I'm not letting you go on the trip alone, so don't even bother asking."

She stopped and looked to the brunette, eyebrow quirked. Sometimes she found it unnerving how nonchalant Rachel could be about abandoning their team. She was technically their leader, after all. "You do realize that we are not only screwing their chances of winning, but potentially rendering them incapable of even competing at regionals, right?"

Rachel uncrossed her arms with a heavy sigh. "Of course I do, but there will always be next year. Getting your curse broken, on the other hand, well, this might be our only chance. And like I said before, I will not have _anything_ getting in the way of that."

She managed an appreciative smile before turning her back to grab her things in the corner. She would be lying if she didn't feel some apprehension about this trip. She and Jacob had never returned to La Push since they originally left and while she appreciated Rachel's confidence, she still wasn't too sure how she felt about everything.

On the one hand, she had the sinking feeling that this whole trip to Washington would be nothing but a waste of time, leaving her and Jacob disappointed _yet again _and Rachel with the regret of missing out on regionals for an unsuccessful venture. But on the other hand, she knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself with all the _what ifs? _if she decided not to go forth with this trip just because she was too scared to get hurt again.

"So did glee let out early or something?" she wondered once she pulled herself out of her thoughts. She picked out her water bottle from her bag and turned back around as she twisted off the cap. She looked to Rachel expectantly.

"Oh. No." Rachel shook her head while she took a sip of water. "You didn't show up and well, all throughout practice I was distracted, so I excused myself to the restroom to see where you were. I figured you would still be somewhere in school because I knew you wouldn't so cruel as to leave me without a way of transportation home." She chuckled.

"You know me well." After taking another sip, she stated, "Now that you've found me you should probably return to practice." She dropped her bottle onto her bag and returned to the center of the floor.

Rachel pushed her body away from the barre started shaking her head, "I'm _so_ bringing you back with me."

"I'd like to see you try, gizmo." she retorted, smiling wryly at the small brunette, her hands resting on her hips.

Rachel made a face at the nickname. "Don't call me that. That thing is beyond creepy."

She instantly scoffed, though on the inside she was chuckling at the memory from a few days ago of Rachel cowering behind pillows on her couch as they watched _Gremlins_ together. "Gizmo is no such thing. He's adorable."

Rachel maintained her opinion with a snort. "He's _creepy_."

"Funny how the same argument could be made for you, don't you think?" she smiled teasingly at Rachel's unamused expression.

"How rude!"

"Okay, _Stephanie Tanner_." Rolling her eyes, she did another little turn. "I'm still not going to rehearsal. I'm having way too much fun here."

"If you don't come with me, I'll throw a tantrum." Rachel threatened, lifting her chin defiantly. "And who, may I ask, is Stephanie Tanner?"

She inwardly groaned. Why did she even bother with the pop culture references? If it wasn't anything Barbra related it was over Rachel's head. "Go back to glee, Rachel."

"Quinn, you know as well as I do that I will not refrain until I get what I want." Rachel stated firmly. "And what I want is for you to come with me to practice." She opened her mouth to protest but Rachel then added, "If you don't I'll never make you my famous vegan chocolate chip and butterscotch cookies ever again."

"Now that's just cruel and unusual punishment." Those cookies were the only thing Rachel knew how to make, and not only that, they were kind of addicting. "Fine." she conceded with a sigh, because those cookies were just _that_ good (and she still couldn't figure out Rachel's secret ingredient to successfully replicate them).

She reluctantly picked up her things and shouldered her bag, then followed Rachel out of the studio. "But if Santana threatens me with another Lima Heights smack down, _I_ will be the one to go all Lima Heights on _her_ ass."

* * *

"Look Jacob, you can be honest with me."

"I _am_ being honest with you." Lifting her attention from the takeout carton in her grasp, Rachel cast him a disbelieving look.

"So you are telling me that you have _never_ been attracted to any girl other than Quinn?"

She wasn't sure how they got to this topic exactly. Jacob had come over to her house a little while ago - ever since she spent the night at his and Quinn's house, they had started to hang out again (Of course only after she made sure Quinn was _absolutely_ okay with it) - and now they were on her living room floor, _American Idol _playing on the tv, while they indulged in Chinese food and just _talked_.

As Jacob wordlessly nodded his head, his mouth filled with kung pao chicken, she continued, "In all your years, you have never given a girl so much as a second glance?" Her brow furrowed skeptically.

"Nope." When he looked up from his food and noticed her expression, he stopped and swallowed. "Look, I know this will sound strange but I don't really see other girls in _that _way. At all. Nor do I want to. Quinn is completely perfect for me. Not only is she beautiful and sexy, she's sweet yet feisty, warm and intelligent. She cared for me in a way that nobody ever has before, at least not since my mother passed away and…you probably already know this."

Laughing slightly, she nodded. She couldn't count how many times their conversations turned into Jacob just straight out gushing about Quinn, but it wasn't something that ever bothered her.

She found it endearing.

"Ever since I met Quinn, it's just _always_ been her and will always _be_ her." he concluded.

"Why can't all guys be like you, Jacob?" she sighed, slumping back against the sofa gloomily. She picked at her food with her fork. "If only Finn had that kind of mindset." she mumbled, more to herself than to Jacob. _Then he never would have slept with Santana, he never would have lied, she never would have been out of her mind with distress to kiss Jacob…_

"Hey, I thought you were okay with not being with Finn anymore."

She nodded, exhaling deeply. "I am. I just…I want what you and Quinn have." When she noticed his raised brows, she quickly clarified, "I mean the deep unconditional love, not the whole cursed for eternity thing."

"Right." Jacob smirked, then returned to his food. "So does he ever talk to you?"

"Finn? No, not really." She sighed. "But then again nobody in glee really is."

"They still givin' you a hard time?" he questioned, setting down his empty carton and reaching for another unopened one. She shook her head at the sight. He truly was like a human garbage disposal. "Yeah, things still are a little tense at rehearsal," she replied, still aimlessly playing with her food. "and everyone hasn't really left us alone since we announced we would not be participating in regionals, but I don't really blame them. If the roles were reversed, I would be pestering the heck out of us too."

Jacob chuckled slightly. "According to Quinn, they're driving her crazy."

"They keep trying to convince us that there's nothing more important than regionals…they just don't understand that there is. Unfortunately we can't tell them what is truly going on, at least not truthfully." Jacob nodded understandingly. "I feel awful about abandoning them like this, especially when we have come so far as a team, but I know I wouldn't be able to live with myself if we didn't see this theory through. And like I've told Quinn, I'm used to glee hating me. It's nothing that I can't handle nor is it something that is liable to go away even if I did choose regionals. I mean they it's practically a hobby of theirs, finding new reasons to hate on me." she mumbled the last part bitterly. Deciding she wasn't hungry anymore, she set down her unfinished food on the coffee table and internally wallowed in self-pity for a few more seconds until Jacob pulled her out of it.

"Quinn's still hesitant about going back to La Push."

"Yeah, I gathered that." she replied with a dismayed sigh. Quinn was good at masking her emotions when she wanted to, but she couldn't hide her uncertainty _every_ time Rachel brought up Washington. "I've talked to her time and time again to try and change that fact but…" she drifted off with a tired shake of her head.

"It'll take more than words to convince her." Jacob responded, leaning his head back as he took another swig of soda.

"What about you?" she asked curiously, pushing her back away from the sofa and reaching for her fortune cookie.

"I'm not sure how eclipse mumbo jumbo of yours will play out but I'm willing to give it a shot." he answered with a shrug. "If it pans out, fantastic. If not, then at least we tried."

She tossed him his fortune cookie and leaned back in her previous position. "Are you nervous about returning home?"

"A little." he admitted, nodding. He cracked open his fortune cookie without looking at it. "I mean it's been so long and all the people I knew are all long gone by now. It'll be weird seeing the descendants of people I used to know. What's your fortune say?"

"_You will have a pleasant surprise_." She met his gaze and jerked her chin toward him. "Yours?"

He pulled the strip of paper out of the cookie and read, "_The object of your desire comes closer_."

She smiled brightly and neatly folded her fortune, tucking it away safely in her sweatshirt pocket. "If these aren't signs that this trip will work out in our favor, then I don't know what is."

"If you say so, Rachel." She could hear the smile in his voice. "So has that Barbra doll of yours come yet?"

"It should be here any day now." she answered, tossing him her fortune cookie pieces because she did not care for them. "Unless our mailman is secretly a Barbra obsessive and is holding my doll hostage somewhere in his dank apartment. If he honestly thinks I will never come after him, he is sorely mistaken."

* * *

"So if me and Barbra Streisand were both drowning at the same time, who would you save?"

Laughing slightly at the blonde's random question, Rachel kept her cell phone wedged in between her ear and shoulder as she finished washing the dishes she had used for breakfast. "You, of course." she answered promptly, then added, "Barbra can walk on water."

Quinn snorted on the other line. "That and Jacob would kill you if you ever let anything happen to me."

"Well, yes that goes without saying." She set down her final dish on the rack to dry and peeled off her gloves. "Are you here yet?"

"Yeah, I just pulled up to your house."

"You know you really shouldn't talk on the phone and drive at the same time, Quinn." she admonished, walking into her living room and plucking her school bag from off the sofa. "Do you have any idea how many teenagers die each year from reckless driving?"

"No, but I have a feeling you'll tell me. And for your information I had it on speakerphone."

Rachel scurried to the front door upon noticing the blonde's silhouette outside. "Still…" she yanked the door open with her free hand and simultaneously snapped her phone shut. "You know you didn't have to come to the door, I could have met you at the..." Her brow furrowed as she took in the item in Quinn's grasp. "What's that?"

"It's a belated birthday cake." Quinn replied, handing over the plastic container that held said cake. Her eyebrow arched slightly at Rachel's surprised expression. "Your birthday was in December, was it not?"

She wordlessly nodded and took the container. "Well, seeing as how I wasn't speaking to you at the time of your actual birthday…Ta-Da." Quinn gestured to the cake with a sheepish smile. "And yes, it's vegan. I baked it myself."

She glanced down at the chocolate cake neatly adorned with raspberries - her favorite berry - and pursed her lips together to keep from outright bawling. No one had ever done anything like this for her, well not anyone aside from her dads - not even Finn (but in his defense he can't bake).

"Also, here." Quinn handed her a small gold box that she hadn't realized the blonde had been holding this whole time. After setting her cake down on the hallway table, she turned back around and proceeded to untie the bow. "Jacob said we should get you something Barbra related but frankly I couldn't find anything you didn't already have." Quinn said with a small laugh. "You kind of beat me to it with the doll."

Pulling back the gold star tissue paper, she beamed at the sight of a silver charm bracelet with dangling little stars. "Aw, Quinn." By now she had tears - happy ones, of course - glistening in her eyes. "I love it." She instantly threw her arms around the blonde and squeezed with all her might. "Thank you so much!"

"You're ah…welcome, Rach…you're crushing my… ribs."

"Oops! Sorry!" she squeaked, quickly releasing her hold on her best friend and smiling embarrassedly.

"For someone so small, you certainly have quite a grip." Quinn commented as she shook out her arms. "I guess Jacob wasn't kidding about that."

"Thank you again, Quinn." she said gratefully, once she put her cake in the kitchen and promptly returned to the hallway. After doing a quick double check of the time on her watch, she and Quinn stepped outside as Rachel closed the front door behind her. They were a little behind schedule now and in order to avoid receiving a tardy on her attendance record, they would have to get going right away.

They end up pulling into McKinley's parking lot in record time, with minutes to spare actually, because as Rachel tended to forget in the early mornings, Quinn sometimes drove like a mad woman. "I don't know what you're talking about," the blonde stated as they climbed up the front steps together, "I'm a great driver."

"You're erratic at best." she retorted coolly, pulling the door open and stepping inside. Quinn followed suit, rolling her eyes with a heavy sigh. "You're the one who goes crazy every time we're running even the slightest late, Rachel. I was merely trying to prevent another Berry freak-out. I know how you are about your perfect attendance record."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at the blonde as they walked down the hallway. "You had bacon this morning, didn't you?"

Quinn frowned. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You're always little miss Speedy Gonzalez while you drive on the mornings you have bacon." she commented. "I think it has something to do with all the sodium you are consuming. Which, by the way, high levels of can be seriously-"

"You lecture way too much, Rachel." Quinn groaned, shaking her head as they pressed on toward their lockers.

Two cheerios passed them by shortly thereafter, throwing them - really _her_ - dirty looks on their way down the hallway. She recognized one of the Cheerios being the same girl from the bathroom, the day Quinn had confronted her about kissing Jacob, and recalled how the cheerleader's face had drained of all color upon being booted out by a then livid Quinn.

"You know you would've made a fine Cheerio if you had accepted Coach Sylvester's offer to join." she brought casually up as the blonde fiddled with her locker combination.

"How did you know about that?" Quinn questioned, referring to Coach Sylvester's offer. "I don't recall you being there."

"Santana was talking about it one day in glee." she explained, fiddling with her new charm bracelet on her left wrist as she spoke. "Apparently it was a historic event in Cheerios history. No one ever turns down Sue. And lives."

Quinn laughed, then her smile faded as she opened her locker. "Wait, why do you say I would have made a fine Cheerio?"

"You have this Cheerio-ish quality about you when you're angry." she responded, looking up from her bracelet. "For example, when we were in the girl's bathroom and you told that Cheerio to get out. Though I was utterly terrified at the time, I have to admit it was kind of awesome seeing someone put the fear of God in a Cheerio like you did."

Only a few select people have that power. Unfortunately she was not one of them.

"And this is a good thing?" Quinn sounded confused. "I know I have a bit of a temper when I'm upset but that's not necessary something I'm proud of."

"I'm just saying that I could easily picture you donning that red and white uniform and high ponytail. Why did you decline to join anyways?"

"I'm not sure if I should consider that a compliment or not." Quinn murmured, pulling out her needed textbook and closing her locker. She decided to shrug it off. "Any who I declined joining for many reasons. One because I wanted to keep what sanity I have, two because I don't approve of how Sue treats the girls, and three because I don't like cheerleading but even if I did, I wouldn't be able to cheer at the games seeing as how they're all at night anyways."

Rachel nodded understandingly and walked along side the blonde as they headed toward their respected classes. "Did you ever try out for the Cheerios?" Quinn asked out of curiosity.

She scoffed at the very idea and kept walking. "I have way too much respect for myself to willingly put myself in that kind of hostile environment."

She noticed Quinn's knowing glance and reluctantly caved into the truth. "They said I was too short."

The blonde smirked and nodded. "But in my defense it was freshman year and I was naïve about the true nature of the Cheerios. Had I known then what I know now, I never would have tried out for the team in the first place."

Quinn smiled wryly, just as the warning bell rang overhead, and nodded. "Of course. See you in chemistry."

* * *

She paced around her room with slight impatience. She alternated her gaze from the clock on her nightstand to the packed suitcases on her bed. Jacob would be here any minute. Did she have everything she needed? Suddenly worried that she didn't, she reached for the duffel bag closest to her and began inspecting its contents, mentally checking off each item as she located it.

About a month had passed and the time for their little adventure had finally come. She was more than ready for it, having practically been counting down the days in her head. She didn't know the exact outcome the trip would entail but she had a good feeling it was a positive one.

It had taken some convincing to get her dads' permission to take part in such a journey, considering she had been quite vague on the details, (She had explained to them that Quinn was in dire need of her help, and her help alone, and that she would never in a million years be asking for permission for something so unheard of if it wasn't of the utmost importance) but she _eventually_ got their okay.

Thankfully she had such trusting fathers.

Reaching into another one of her bags, she double checked that she had all her homework she would need to complete in her absence. It had been at her dads' insistence that she retrieve all the work she would be missing but she knew enough that she couldn't just skip town for a month and expect those perfect grades she had maintained this year to still be there when she returned. And while she disliked the idea of having to be concerned with homework while on a mission, she knew better than to risk her grades and GPA like that.

As for glee club, that whole lot had been acting more immature than ever - Mr. Schuester included. Rather than spending this precious time finding replacements for her and Quinn, they chose to instead sulk and pout like bratty children who weren't going to relent until they got their way. It was embarrassing she considered them teammates and even more so in Mr. Schuester's case. He was a grown man for crying out loud and yet he chose to encourage their behavior.

Sometimes she _really_ questioned his leadership skills.

But of course, since she and Quinn wanted glee to at least be able to _compete_ at regionals, they took it upon themselves to find replacements for them. It was a tedious process just trying to find someone to listen to their plea, let alone willingly join glee, but they eventually found two recruits. Unfortunately it took more than words for them to reach an agreement.

"Can she even sing?" Rachel inquired as she briskly walked down the hallway along side Quinn.

The blonde shrugged. "I don't know. She was the only person who didn't walk away from me when I brought up glee so I didn't ask questions. I just hope this works."

Her gaze darted to the large box of Cadbury eggs in Quinn's grasp and nodded assuredly. "It will. If it is one thing Lauren won't turn down it's chocolate. I should know, I once hired her to rig hidden microphones in the choir room to prove that the rest of the glee club wasn't pulling their weight. She told me to pay her in Mallomars and Snickers."

"Still if she needs more persuading, I've got the boxed set of _True Blood _signed by the cast in my bag."

"Good." From what she heard through the grapevine, Lauren was the leader of a group of obsessed _True Blood _fans, who liked to victimize unsuspecting students in order to get Alexander Skarsgard's attention. "And be sure she signs the contract."

Quinn rolled her eyes and gave a slight groan. "I thought you were joking about that."

"I wouldn't have spent three hours typing up a binding legal contract for a joke, Quinn. Now I have to go." She had just spotted her own recruit down the adjacent hallway and had her own bribing to do.

"Did you really give him one of your _bras_?" Quinn asked her on the drive home later that day, her nose wrinkled up in disgust. She knew desperate times called for desperate measures but that was just gross.

She shook her head and mildly murmured, "No."

Quinn breathed out a sigh of relief and nodded. "Good."

"I gave him one of yours."

"What?" The blonde hit the brakes so hard, Rachel would have flown out the window for sure had it not been for her seatbelt.

She remembered distinctly Jacob Ben Israel approaching her the next day at school and informing her that the bra she gave him mysteriously disappeared and that he wanted another one. She told him that wasn't her problem. He countered by pointing out that they had a deal.

She begrudgingly gave the little freak one of her own bras only to later find out that it had been Jacob - Quinn's Jacob - who had gone to JewFro's house and retrieved the original bra. (She really should have seen it coming, seeing as how Quinn told him _everything _and vise versa).

"Like I was going to let some scrawny perverted kid keep my wife's bra." Jacob informed her after the whole ordeal. "And if you ever do something like that again, I'll burn your entire Barbra collection without hesitation."

Rachel was knocked out of the memory as she heard the door bell ring downstairs. She immediately shouldered some of her bags and gathered up the rest of her things, much like a bellhop, before she made her way down the stairs.

"Hello, Jacob." she greeted rather breathlessly as she opened the front door. Her bags were quite heavy and the trip down the stairs had left her out of breath.

"Hey, Rachel." he greeted back, immediately reaching for her suitcase and lifting it onto his shoulder like it was weightless. "You all set?"

She stepped out onto the front porch and nodded, then brought the door closed behind her. It took a little effort but she managed to get her keys out of her pocket to lock it. Her dads were out attending a business dinner for one of their clients so the house would be empty. Of course she had already said her goodbyes to them and listened to another lecture before they left.

While Jacob put her suitcase in the trunk of the car, she eagerly trotted down the driveway to join him. "You sure you packed enough?" he joked once he finished putting away all her things.

"I hope so." she seriously replied, making her way round to the passenger side. As she piled into the her seat, she noticed the cage in the backseat with the little white owl. "Hey, Quinn." she greeted meekly, feeling slightly sorry for her being trapped in a cage in all. The bird gave a small hoot in reply.

"I'll let her out in a little while." Jacob assured, sitting down and bringing the car door along with him. "It's safer for her to fly out in the more secluded areas."

She nodded understandingly and turned back around to face front. "So are you ready to do this?" she asked excitedly, after she buckled herself into her seat.

"As ready as I'll ever be." he breathed, turning his head as he backed out of her driveway. "You sure you have everything you need? I'm not doubling back."

"Yes, I checked and double checked and I have everything I will need." she answered promptly, reaching down into her purse and pulling out the directions she had printed out online. Being Jacob's copilot she had to ensure her familiarity with the exits and onramps they would need to be on the look out for.

"So you really haven't been back to La Push since you originally left?" she inquired a few hours later. It was nearing midnight and she was wide awake, her body still reeling with the excitement of finally getting out of Ohio. They were passing through Illinois now, on their way up to Wisconsin.

"Yeah, after the whole curse incident, we stayed in La Push for a while. We didn't really know what to do with ourselves, we were so lost." She looked over at him and found his expression solemn. "The first year was the hardest. It was beyond overwhelming. Our only ways of communication were through my friends or through notes and it just sucked. It tore me up inside that I couldn't be there for Quinn when she needed me most, especially when I found out about the baby. Eventually I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't continue to live in a place that had taken away so much from me."

"So you left."

"Yeah, my dad gave us some money he had saved up and Quinn…" he chuckled at the memory and continued, "well, since her parents disowned her, she resorted to theft."

She felt her eyes widen in surprise. "Wait, she _stole_ money from her parents?"

Jacob nodded and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, still amused. "Yeah and it was all her idea, believe me. She told me she knew the combination to her father's safe and one day she just hitched a ride to Seattle, snuck into her house without anyone's notice, broke into her father's safe and took more than enough money for us to live on our own."

"Just when I think Quinn couldn't have any more talents I find out she's some kind of mastermind burglar!" she shook her head in disbelief. Just when she thought she knew everything about the blonde, she learns something new. "Did her parents ever find out about it?" Jacob shrugged.

"Beats me."

"Is there anything else I should know about you two?" He just smiled wryly and turned up the music before accelerating onto the open highway.

* * *

**AN: As always reviews are greatly appreciated, and who knows maybe they'll help to get my mojo back.**


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